No, this isn't the 1991 horror movie with Jill Schoelen (whom we all remember from the original STEPFATHER with Terry O'Quinn). This is a 2007 British teen comedy.
The story: awkward guy falls for total hottie who doesn't notice him and so he does lots and lots of outrageous stuff trying to win her love. In this case, he takes a job where she works (local movie theater) and then after several failed attempts starts using schemes from movies to win her over, including as a final scheme pretending he is in love with another girl and getting her help so that they can be together and she will get to know him and want to jump his bones. Along the way there's also stuff with the manager and others stealing and someone from corporate undercover at the theater trying to figure out who it is.
Was it good?
Kind of. Maybe it's because it's British so some of the humor didn't come across. There's a lot to like here (even though my synopsis doesn't really capture it). The idea of the hopeless geek using movie advice to win a girl while working in the movie theater is pretty good and the girl he falls for is interesting -- pretty but not the empty headed girl most of these movies are about where sure they look hot, but after five minutes of her yammering you don't care if he gets the girl, you just hope you get to watch him bone the girl.
The problem with the movie is that it is just all over the place. It isn't focused enough and there isn't any feeling of stakes. For instance, the guy gets a job at the movie theater but it turns out it's the hot girl's last day...except there isn't much made of the fact that this is his last chance. Then there's a party but why have it at all? Why not make him connect with her on that last day instead of having this extra chance for him? And then the love triangle -- when he is pursuing one girl while pretending to be in love with another -- is good, but more could have been done with it. In fact the concept that he is falling movie advice could have been used a lot stronger too. That really is the problem with the movie -- there is a lot of good stuff and the cast is pretty nice, but it just always feels like it's at half speed. Of course, then, because it isn't Hollywood it has to avoid the kind of happy ending you really want after following these characters, so even there it's a bit of a let down. Maybe they thought they were being clever, but I would have liked a more fulfilling ending instead.
Still...there's a lot to like here, especially if you go into it knowing it feels more like an indy comedy than a Hollywood comedy (although I would have liked the HW version more).
*** RECOMMEND ****
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