“In the comedy “She’s Out of my League,” Kirk (Jay Baruchel, “Knocked Up,” “Tropic Thunder”), an average Joe, can’t believe his luck. Though he’s stuck in a seemingly dead-end job as an airport security agent, against all odds, Molly (Alice Eve), a successful and outrageously gorgeous babe, falls for him. Kirk is stunned. So are his friends, his family and even his ex-girlfriend. Now he has to figure out how to make the relationship work, even though he’d be the first to admit she’s totally out of his league.”
Jay Baruchel popped up on my radar early in the noughties when I caught a late night episode of the short-lived Judd Apatow TV series ‘Undeclared’. He immediately struck me as someone to watch and that the show was really good. Unfortunately, the show lasted only 17 episodes, but as Apatow’s grip on the comedy world was tightening, I began to see this scrawny Canadian popping up occasionally.
It was his role as the awkward newbie actor trying to impress in Tropic Thunder that finally broke him. Sure, he had the awkward skinny guy routine down pat, but the question is, can he be the lead in a Romantic Comedy?
She’s Out of My League <MA15+>, currently playing in cinemas, puts Baruchel front and center as Kirk, a hapless, airport security officer who longs to be an airline pilot. When a beautiful girl, Molly (played by the very eye pleasing Alice Eve), leaves her phone in a security tub. This sparks the unlikely coupling of her and Kirk and thus begins our story.
Kirk seeks guidance and wisdom from the worst sources, his friends – Stainer, Jack and Devon. Like having an angel and devil on each shoulder, these friends give the best and the worst advice possible and dish out probably the best delivery of comic timing I’ve seen this year. With Molly’s friend Patty trying to warn her off of Kirk and Kirk’s friends making him feel like he’s not worthy, Kirk’s doubts are exacerbated when Molly’s ex – Dylan, a pilot enters the scene. Kirk brings Molly home to meet his folks which stirs up a jealous rivalry with Kirk’s ex who has been welcomed into his family like a daughter.
As the film progresses, it hits the right beats with the genre of film that it is, but it’s the really nasty and rude humour that, to me, kept me more than thoroughly entertained. They seem to be disguising these romantic comedies very well, by wrapping them up with lewd and base level humour.
It’s a boy meets girl story with every cliché and well-worn story path that has come before it, but with a few very necessary additions. One of the things that surprised me about the film was just how gut bustlingly funny it was. A lot of the humour will offend people, but I just have to say, if you’re like me and have been raised on a steady diet of dick and fart jokes, then you’ll be able to handle this.
Throughout the film Kirk and Molly’s relationship, on paper, doesn’t seem like it’s going to work. She’s gorgeous and he’s a sucker with low self esteem etc. Like with most of these so called chick flick for guys, this film doesn’t stray too far from the schmaltz and I’ll give credit to Alice Eve. I think she has the hardest job of anyone in the film, trying to make us believe that she could possibly be interested in someone like Kirk.
As with Seth Rogen/Katherine Heigl’s relationship in Knocked Up, the Kirk/Molly relationship really does hinge on our suspension of disbelief. Whilst Knocked Up had the genius of Apatow behind it (he made us LIKE Katherine Heigl?), this film has a stronger actress that can make us, and Kirk, fall for her.
This film has a heart and a message, believe in yourself and good things can happen to you. All this and gross out humour? A great combo. She’s out of My League is up there with the likes of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I Love You Man and Knocked Up.
You’ve seen this film before; this one’s just made a little better. Oh and can Jay Baruchel hold his own as a leading man? You can bet your sweet granny’s fanny he can.
I give this film 3.5/5. Its now showing in Cinemas Everywhere.