"She's out of my league"... those crushing words have been uttered many times in a variety of awkward social situations. That phrase may be damning, ego-deflating and self-deprecating, but it still doesn't stop 10s from locking arms with 5s, right? Come on be honest... when you see a 10 with a 5: first base is money, second base is some sort of practical joke, third base is prostitution and a home run - how often does that happen? Well, what if it did happen to a friend - for real. Would you believe it for one minute and more importantly, would you be a supportive friend or a doomsday prophet? Well, that's where Kirk (Jay Baruchel) finds himself caught between his berating airport security friends and Molly (Alice Eve), a perfect 10 in She's Out of My League.
After Kirk loses his "longtime" girlfriend, his destiny is set to change as a drop dead gorgeous 10 named Molly forgets her cellphone in that plastic x-ray container at the security check. Kirk, the only security guy not to lose his head upon her arrival, contacts her to make a rendezvous at an exclusive party and the rest as they say is history... but how long will their romance last before it really becomes history?
If you're expecting a comedy in the style of American Pie, you'd be right and wrong... While She's Out of My League does bowl one or two American Pie gutter balls featuring premature ejaculation and a pubic trim, these moments are short-lived and actually quite funny. The language is responsible for the greater part of its age restriction, yet the overall tone is actually quite sweet sponging the majority of the filth. Jay Baruchel also goes a long way to cleaning up the teen comedy residue with a nice guy performance you can't help but like. You may even catch yourself thinking, so what if he gets the girl, he's paid his dues in embarrassment and it's time nerds finish first?
Baruchel recently voiced Hiccup in How to Train Your Dragon and is probably best remembered for his roles in Fanboys and Knocked Up. He's a nice Joe Average and it's difficult to think of an adequate replacement once he's attached himself to a character. Alice Eve, yet another Australian beauty, fills in for There's Something About Mary's Cameron Diaz as the gorgeous unattainable girl of Kirk's dreams. You may recognise most of her from Crossing Borders, where she shared a series of sex scenes with Ray Liotta or perhaps her performance in Starter for 10 opposite James McAvoy. This one's more like Starter for 10. The most surprising performance comes from comedian T.J. Miller as Stainer, who steals every scene he's in with his comic bravado and "Ferrelesque" demeanor.
She's Out of My League may not have any big name stars, but really outdoes itself as a romantic comedy with all these star-in-the-making performances. This is light, easy-going entertainment that is likable for its character, nice-guys-finish-first message and general optimism when it comes to outgrowing your league. There are the typical formulaic elements of any Hollywood comedy in this arena, but it comes across as a sweeter, diluted version of There's Something About Mary. You wouldn't think it, but She's Out of My League marks writer Jim Field Smith's directorial feature debut after a series of comedy shorts.
The film welds a series of laugh-out-loud set pieces together to form an '80s style romance comedy with a fresh batch of today comedy. Baruchel succeeds as the film's lead and the other stars all wave their hands up in their air for tickets to future feature comedies. It's a little prickly at times for those unfamiliar with American Pie and There's Something About Mary, but the greater part is easily accessible and genuinely funny - adding up to a light, enjoyable and rewatchable piece of comic entertainment. It starts off a little slow, but once it gets going you'll feel like the hubcaps are loosening.
The bottom line: Entertaining.
