Movie Review: She’s Out Of My League (2010)

SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE

BY CHRISTOPHER HASKELL
SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

Wholly unexpected and hilarious, “She’s Out Of My League” shatters all expectations held to it before the first viewing. Hype can kill a film and the reception that follows. When first attending “The Hangover,” I knew nothing about it and fell completely in love with the hilarity that ensued, leaving the theater satisfied and blown away. “She’s Out Of My League” followed suit, leaving no hearsay hype heading into the theater. The film was an absolute afterthought on the night my friends decided to go to the theater. We collectively agreed that it was well worth the leap of faith.

Jay Baruchel plays Kirk (“Kirkers”), a down-on-his-luck, downtrodden geek working for the TSA. He and his outspoken friends Stainer (T.J. Miller), Jack (Mike Vogel), and Devon (Nate Torrence) watch the “beautiful people” pass through airport security all day. That is until Kirk meets “the” epitome of beauty, Molly (Alice Eve). From then on grows a relationship that Kirk’s friend refers to as Beauty and the Beast personified, rating Kirk as a “5” on the attractiveness scale and Molly a hard “10.”

The film’s humor comes least from Jay Baruchel and mostly from everyone surrounding him, relying on their reactions towards the mismatched couple to supply the priceless dialogue. Kirk’s brother, Dylan (Kyle Bornheimer), adds a considerable portion of humor with his reception of Molly in the pool and his “slapshot regatta” rigmarole. Molly’s friend, Patty (Krysten Ritter), also adds to the comical element, especially in her combative back and forth with T.J. Miller.

Alice Eve proves her worth, appearing gorgeous and unmatched by any starlet in Hollywood today. For having little to no roles before “She’s Out Of My League,” her future is as bright. Her stunning physical beauty and sincere personality force the viewer to fall in love with her just as Kirk does.

The genuine characters are unique elements of “She’s Out Of My League.” Molly is genuinely attracted to Kirk and not just using him in a “She’s All That” sense of the term. In most comedies, the beautiful person is simply with the “unattractive” character for personal gain. “She’s Out Of My League” offers a taste of what a real uncommon relationship would look like, filling you with hope when the couple thrives and breaking your heart when things get dicey. Sure, Jay Baruchel is arguably not a “5” on the scale, but they make an unpredictable couple compared to Alice Eve.

Humorous, intelligent, and sexy, “She’s Out Of My League” is a triple threat and one of the year’s funniest films. The one-liners are plentiful, and multiple viewings are required to catch all the small anecdotal segments glazed over while laughing hysterically throughout the film. Much like the tagline suggests (“the funniest movie since The Hangover”), “She’s Out Of My League” offers the same surprising experience as “The Hangover,” never disappointing, matching humor with heart, offering an honest look at a relationship less traveled.

RELEASE DATE
March 12, 2010

DIRECTOR
Jim Field Smith

WRITTEN BY
Sean Anders
John Morris

STUDIO
Paramount Pictures

R
(for language and sexual content)

COMEDY
ROMANCE
104 minutes