Teenage Dirtbag

Film Has anyone else in the world seen the film Loser? After reading a string of poor reviews I finally dived in tonight and utterly adored it. It's funny how your enjoyment of a film can be totally inverse to what the professionals are saying, especially Ebert. Interestingly, even though the film was made just five years ago it feels like a cultural snapshot. There are references to My So-Called Life, the rock group Everclear and the soundtrack. They even sneak into the original revival of Cabaret on Broadway with Alan Cumming in a cheeky cameo. Coming so soon after American Pie and featuring Jason Biggs I would imagine that it was marketed as another gross out comedy which might suggest why no one seems to have admitted to seeing it. But whenever a potentially comic beat is being set up, the film lurches for melancholy. Whenever the titular loser Biggs is shit upon it's not played for laughs, you really feel for him, and in fact I'd say that one of the reasons the film resonates is because in places it feels a bit too close to my original university experience. Also, why is Mina Suvari not a major star? She's adorable here, really excellent.