Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Sidney Young is a down-on-his-luck journalist. Thanks to a stint involving a pig and a glitzy awards ceremony, Sidney turns his fortunes around, attracting the attention of Clayton Harding, editor of New York-based glossy magazine 'Sharps', and landing the holy grail of journalism jobs. The Brit jets off to the Big Apple and moves from one blunder to the next.
A reasonably charming but largely formulaic fish-out-of-water comedy-romance built on well-worn tropes: bumbling British outsider navigates cutthroat American celebrity culture, falls for the girl, finds his soul. Simon Pegg and Kirsten Dunst bring some genuine warmth and the supporting cast (Jeff Bridges, Gillian Anderson) elevate the material, but the cinematography is purely functional glossy rom-com fare. The satire of celebrity culture has sharper antecedents and the film never fully commits to its cynical edge, softening into a predictable romantic resolution. Based on Toby Young's memoir it has some autobiographical texture, but the adaptation smooths out most of the interesting rough edges.