I Love You Beth Cooper will never be heralded by critics. But as usual that never means that it isn't worth seeing. With a film like this you must look at the key demographic which in this case is the new generation of teenies both male and female who are far more racier than ever before requiring the maturity of shows such as Gossip Girl and films like this as opposed to Princess Diaries or even Mean Girls. Beth Cooper is a fantasy for geeks and teen boys everywhere and for girls its just a fun ride with the cool girls. It doesn't boast intelligence or even a moral really in fact I think ultimately it shows that the object of teen infatuation is often not what you dream her/him to be. There is some honest attempt at making the more vapid characters see the errors of their ways but the characters are already vapid and shallow and that is the only way to portray them so to have them have any sort of epiphany defeats the purpose of the vapid and fantasy driven movie. Does that sound negative? Its not. Most people go to films to escape reality, to have a fantasy away from their own lives and Beth Cooper is the perfect escape for teenies and those of us who miss our teenage years.
Movies, time and time again, have made us believe that the geek/nerd/less than great looking guy can get the hottest girl on the planet let alone in the school (Breakfast Club, Transformers, She's All That (girl to guy in that case)) but actor Paul Rust might take that to a new level. I mean not to harp on the guy like a high school bully but his character and performance defines high school "loser." He looks the part, acts the part, and is just the perfect blend of every level of nerd anyone ever knew...or was. He might even take it over the top BUT he is still a character you will absolutely feel compassion for and somehow relate to. Jack Carpenter is Rust's ambiguous best friend. He is used sparingly surprisingly but is still fun and easy to like. Rust and Carpenter also have great chemistry with each other. If you didn't like Hayden Panettiere prior to this movie...her performance as Beth Cooper won't help. Her performance is not bad by any means but her character is vapid and empty. She is the definition of the cool girl, leader of the school type. If you were never attracted to Hayden Panettiere before guys...you will be after this movie...perhaps inexplicably. So with no real charisma to her character she still is watchable to the utmost. Lauren Storm and Lauren London are her slutty, and even more vapid best friends that are two of the dumbest character (intelligence wise) in the history of movies. Finally the steroid ridden muscle bound bully played by Shawn Roberts does a decent job considering his only real role is to grunt, growl and smash things. Watch for a really fun cameo by Alan Ruck (legendary Cameron from Ferris Bueller) as Rust's Dad.
None of the actors in this film are bad except for Shawn Roberts who has virtually no role. The girls are pretty faces and bodies with some good solid lines but with absolutely no depth to their characters. Panettiere gets more depth but barely and only because she has more screen time. The two main guys Rust and Carpenter are the only characters worth really getting to know and they are funny and silly and chaotic with lots of physical comedy and one liners. The plot of the film though is a ferocious howl of a one night romp across the city making it the best night of the two guys' lives. I have never read the book and maybe it is better but this silly, unintelligent little movie entertained me a great deal. Maybe that makes me a little unintelligent but sometimes shutting your brain off and going for a little adventure makes it all the more fun. 8/10
Movies, time and time again, have made us believe that the geek/nerd/less than great looking guy can get the hottest girl on the planet let alone in the school (Breakfast Club, Transformers, She's All That (girl to guy in that case)) but actor Paul Rust might take that to a new level. I mean not to harp on the guy like a high school bully but his character and performance defines high school "loser." He looks the part, acts the part, and is just the perfect blend of every level of nerd anyone ever knew...or was. He might even take it over the top BUT he is still a character you will absolutely feel compassion for and somehow relate to. Jack Carpenter is Rust's ambiguous best friend. He is used sparingly surprisingly but is still fun and easy to like. Rust and Carpenter also have great chemistry with each other. If you didn't like Hayden Panettiere prior to this movie...her performance as Beth Cooper won't help. Her performance is not bad by any means but her character is vapid and empty. She is the definition of the cool girl, leader of the school type. If you were never attracted to Hayden Panettiere before guys...you will be after this movie...perhaps inexplicably. So with no real charisma to her character she still is watchable to the utmost. Lauren Storm and Lauren London are her slutty, and even more vapid best friends that are two of the dumbest character (intelligence wise) in the history of movies. Finally the steroid ridden muscle bound bully played by Shawn Roberts does a decent job considering his only real role is to grunt, growl and smash things. Watch for a really fun cameo by Alan Ruck (legendary Cameron from Ferris Bueller) as Rust's Dad.
None of the actors in this film are bad except for Shawn Roberts who has virtually no role. The girls are pretty faces and bodies with some good solid lines but with absolutely no depth to their characters. Panettiere gets more depth but barely and only because she has more screen time. The two main guys Rust and Carpenter are the only characters worth really getting to know and they are funny and silly and chaotic with lots of physical comedy and one liners. The plot of the film though is a ferocious howl of a one night romp across the city making it the best night of the two guys' lives. I have never read the book and maybe it is better but this silly, unintelligent little movie entertained me a great deal. Maybe that makes me a little unintelligent but sometimes shutting your brain off and going for a little adventure makes it all the more fun. 8/10