I'm going out on a limb here to break some new ground. There has been the rare instances where I will have watched a movie then it surfaces as a Vault Pick within just a month or so after I have seen it. Some flicks are just instant classics like that. I can already think of a couple I have seen this year that could have had that distinction. This is one of them. It could have been a regular movie review for me but I was due for the Vault Pick anyway and it was definitely worthy so there you have it.
In "She's Out of My League" Kirk (Jay Baruchel) is an airport security guard who is lucky enough to get the attention of gorgeous Molly (Alicia Eve). Many people would normally think that Kirk wouldn't be her type because he doesn't seem to possess the same outer hotness that she does. Including Kirk. But he's willing to do whatever it takes to make the relationship work while his friends and even family continue doubting.
Normally a movie with this type of formula wouldn't impress me too much. I mean how many times can we see the old gag about a guy trying to score with someone that really is clearly out of his league? Even if it's not the movie's central premise there has been a similar side story in several movies prior to this one. But there was something that stood out about this one. It was that the girl was the one was the chief aggressor. I wasn't used to seeing that.
I don't care what any guy tells you we have ALL been in that position before. The one where there's that one girl you really want to get with but you knew she was...well...quite simply out of your league. She was your idea of perfection even though such at thing doesn't exist. But you knew if you considered yourself within range, you had a chance. That's what I was diggin' this flick because I could see a little bit of myself in that main character. But what REALLY made it hilarious was one of his best friends, Stainer (T.J. Miller). The same one who breaks down the "range" for those of you who aren't familiar with it.
I called it back when I saw "Cloverfield". I knew then that this T.J. kid was funny. I had a pretty good idea that then that he could be hysterically funny if given the right material. Well whoever cast him in here saw the same thing. Good thing too because dude was on fire the entire movie. Beginning to end. You know how I'm always talking about that one virtual unknown who comes in to steal the show? Well that's TJ.
Fortunately, TJ wasn't alone to provide the comedy here. Although Baruchel is the main character, he was pretty much just mildly amusing. He was really at his best when he was interacting with the supporting characters around him that were obviously much more funny. Like his very suspect ambiguous friend Devon (Nate Torrence). The manscape scene is the best! I was seriously laughing so hard that I was crying. And don't even get me started on his family.
The thing about "She's Out of My League" is there are SO many moments where you bust a gut laughing. They were just coming one after another. They didn't stop. As it came to a close I was sitting there trying to figure out how a movie like that didn't do better in theaters. Easily one of the most underrated comedies out there. I wish I could find another Blockbuster going out of business because I'd add this one to my collection in a hot second.
My rating: A
Recent Comments