Greetings again from the darkness. Effectively odd comedy based on Toby Young's book and directed by "Curb Your Enthusiasm" regular Robert Weide. With so few quality comedies these days, it is refreshing to see a unique approach ... a bit of a satire on the whole celebrity thing while also commenting on the outsiders or "looky-loo's".
Simon Pegg ("Hot Fuzz") stays under control most of the time and is well cast as the Toby Young-type lead who gets his shot inside the red rope. While there, he quickly falls head over for the hot new thing played by Megan Fox (who in real life is for some reason, the hot new thing). Of course, we do get the sidebar of true love building with another in the form of Kristen Dunst, Pegg's co-worker, who also has a thing going with their married scumbag boss, played devilishly well by Danny Huston. Pegg, Dunst and Huston all work for the burned out, once rebellious celebrity magazine editor, Jeff Bridges (who flashes immensely more hair here than in "Iron Man").
Megan Fox's agent is played by Gillian Anderson, who also represents the hot new director, played by an unrecognizable Max Minghella ("Art School Confidential"). The brilliance of the film is that Pegg is really not all that likable, but we somehow pull for him to figure it all out ... probably because everyone else has a bit of the sleaze that we have come to hate in our co-workers and bosses.
Pegg, Huston and Dunst are all fine in their roles and Bridges is his always reliable self. The bizarre part is watching Megan Fox, who plays the role seemingly drugged out and oblivious to all that's going on. She just doesn't look, act or seem right through the entire film.
Some of the best stuff is when Pegg's father (a famous writer and British Lord) shows up unannounced and is treated to a nervous Pegg and intoxicated Dunst. Also the fake movie trailer with Fox playing a young and lustful Mother Teresa is creative, and I loved the use of 50's actress Janette Scott (complete with real movie scenes) as Pegg's deceased actress mother. Multiple laughs, and some very enjoyable vignettes throughout ... works on a few levels.
Simon Pegg ("Hot Fuzz") stays under control most of the time and is well cast as the Toby Young-type lead who gets his shot inside the red rope. While there, he quickly falls head over for the hot new thing played by Megan Fox (who in real life is for some reason, the hot new thing). Of course, we do get the sidebar of true love building with another in the form of Kristen Dunst, Pegg's co-worker, who also has a thing going with their married scumbag boss, played devilishly well by Danny Huston. Pegg, Dunst and Huston all work for the burned out, once rebellious celebrity magazine editor, Jeff Bridges (who flashes immensely more hair here than in "Iron Man").
Megan Fox's agent is played by Gillian Anderson, who also represents the hot new director, played by an unrecognizable Max Minghella ("Art School Confidential"). The brilliance of the film is that Pegg is really not all that likable, but we somehow pull for him to figure it all out ... probably because everyone else has a bit of the sleaze that we have come to hate in our co-workers and bosses.
Pegg, Huston and Dunst are all fine in their roles and Bridges is his always reliable self. The bizarre part is watching Megan Fox, who plays the role seemingly drugged out and oblivious to all that's going on. She just doesn't look, act or seem right through the entire film.
Some of the best stuff is when Pegg's father (a famous writer and British Lord) shows up unannounced and is treated to a nervous Pegg and intoxicated Dunst. Also the fake movie trailer with Fox playing a young and lustful Mother Teresa is creative, and I loved the use of 50's actress Janette Scott (complete with real movie scenes) as Pegg's deceased actress mother. Multiple laughs, and some very enjoyable vignettes throughout ... works on a few levels.