Loser (2000)

reviewed by
Chad Polenz


Loser 

"American Pie" alums Jason Biggs and Mena Suvari star in this summer's attempt to capitalize on the youth market looking for a comedy about young people they can relate to that combines generic Hollywood cute couple-ness and zany comedy. It's about an A+ student (Biggs as "Paul") who gets a scholarship to some college in New York City who sticks out like a sore thumb and falls for Dora (Suvari) a ditzy heroin-chic Goth chick who has no ambition or self-respect whatsoever and allows herself to be pushed around just like "hick-boy" Paul is.

So we've got a fish-out-water formula mixed with meet-cute romantic comedy which ideally should make for a good movie. Unfortunately the atrocious screenplay and boring direction by "Clueless" auteur Amy Heckerling successfully manages to screw up everything about the film. These characters are totally unrealistic and unbelievable - it's as if everyone under age 30 is a stoned raver. There's no background or details to anyone or anything, it's just a bunch of cartoon characters running into each other. Not to mention the story itself which is virtually non-existant and contains so many plotholes it's like swiss cheese. Even the basic editing is bad.

If you're looking for a romantic comedy stay far away from this one because it is neither romantic nor funny. I saw this in a PACKED cinema on opening night and the audience barely laughed at all. If you've seen the commericials you've seen all the "funny" parts (which are all from the first five minutes).

GRADE: D+ 

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