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"'Loser'
is Aptly Titled"
by Scott Mantz
"Loser"
Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari
Directed by Amy Heckerling
Who says you
need raunchy humor to make a worthy teen comedy these days? Well,
a lot of people, judging by the success of movies like "American
Pie," "Road Trip," and "Scary Movie." But if there's one Hollywood
director who's consistently delivered the goods without resorting
to the lowest common denominator, it's Amy Heckerling. Her "Fast
Times at Ridgemont High" and "Clueless" were among the most significant
teen movies to come along in the last two decades, but it's obvious
by her latest effort that the third time is not the charm. Between
its slow pace, tired premise, and weak characterization, it's painfully
clear this "Loser" is no winner.
Paul (Jason
Biggs) is a good ol' boy from the country who's in New York City
for a college scholarship. Faster than you can say "fish out of
water," Paul finds himself out of place with the rest of the oh-so-hip
undergrads. At least he's not alone. Dora (Mena Suvari) is a Goth
queen wannabe who's forced to work at a sleazy strip bar just so
she can stay in school. If that's not enough, she's dating Edward
Alcott (Greg Kinnear), her English professor who's clearly in it
just for the sex. It doesn't take long for misfit Paul to realize
that misfit Dora is the one for him, but it takes far too long for
Dora to realize that he's the one for her. In the meantime, Paul
gets taken advantage of by his mean-spirited roommates, while Dora
gets taken advantage of by everyone else. How's that for a good
time at the movies?
Structurally,
"Loser" is pretty much a paint-by-numbers boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl,
boy-gets-girl-back storyline. Unfortunately, the characterization
is not strong enough to distinguish it from other films that followed
the same premise. Paul may have a heart of gold, but he's got a
brain of mush. He is forced to live at a local animal clinic after
his roommates toss him out, only to turn around and let them use
the place for a keg party that's straight out of "Night Shift."
By this time, Paul appears like such a glutton for punishment that
it's hard to feel sorry for him.
The same goes
for Dora. At first you sympathize with her situation, but there's
only so much she can do before you finally lose respect for her.
She's desperate to find work, and the only way she can stay in school
is if she moves in with Professor Alcott. He resists at first, but
he gives in only after Paul's roommates threaten him with blackmail.
Even then, he treats her poorly, and it's obvious to everyone that
she should be with Paul. The problem is that waiting for her to
see the light weighs too heavily on your patience to stay connected
with the film.
After making
names for themselves in "American Pie" and "American Beauty" respectively,
Jason Biggs' and Mena Suvari's talents are put to waste here. Biggs
doesn't get to utilize his comedic talents, although he does get
to show off his buff new body. Suvari has some charming moments,
but for the mos t part, her character is just clueless. As for the
rest of the cast, Greg Kinnear is nothing more than a one dimensional
slimeball, while Bigg's roommates--Zak Orth, Tom Sadoski, and Jimmi
Simpson--are far from being the comic relief that they were intended
to be.
What made "Fast
Times" and "Clueless" so memorable was how they blended teen angst
and insecurity with memorable characters and some downright funny
moments. Heckerling tries to tackle some weighty issues here--like
date rape and being flat broke--but it's not strong enough to provide
the backbone that the film sorely needs (and cameo appearances from
David Spade and Andy Dick don't help either). Whereas everybody
remembers Spicoli and Cher from "Fast Times" and "Clueless," Paul
and Dora are likely to be remembered as, well, I don't even have
to say it.
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