In all honesty I was dreading my trip to the cinema to watch 'The Duff'; yet how wrong I was to despair. Yes it does not match the high level of quality from other high school movies such as 'Easy A' and 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'. But it surpasses the recent batch of comedies and provides well needed laughs.
Bianca Piper is a teenager in her later years of high school. She just wants to be reasonably popular and have a boyfriend. However all possibility of this happening is gone when she attends a party hosted by the high school bully. Her friend Wes explains to her that she is the designated ugly fat friend of her social group or DUFF for short. Bianca seeks help from Wes to change her appearance in exchange she will help him pass his science class.
With a film like 'The DUFF', you need to bear in mind that it will not amaze you. Its sole purpose is entertainment value and ensuring that you have a great time, on that basis it is a success. That is equal parts funny and sweet.
Mae Whitman as Bianca Piper is a marvel. This is mainly due to the fact that you do not pity her character. But can sympathise with her because we have all faced the same pressures in high school and how we should conform to fit in with our desired social group. As a character she goes on a remarkable journey and along the way teaches us that we should not be jealous of other people and appreciate our own life.
Her voice-over that plays throughout the film is humorous and allows Bianca to say what she really thinks about certain individuals without verbally expressing her thoughts. Yes it takes some stabs at satire some too broad and others almost on the mark. This element just could have used some tweaking to fine tune it.
The male lead is Robbie Amell who plays Wesley Rush. He is the sports fanatic but funnily enough is not a stereotype. That's because his character has a heart even if he speaks his mind far too often. Amell is a revelation in his first major film role. I expected him to be a manifestation of everything that is wrong with male leads in Hollywood. Instead he served as a welcome addition to the film, that surprised me far more than I thought possible.
The chemistry between Whitman and Amell practically flows from the screen. They left my heart feeling warm and I for one would be more than happy to see them star alongside one another in the future. Their personalities differ significantly which makes it all the more entrancing when they offer their viewpoints on the world.
It does not hurt the film a considerable amount but in some scenes it loses a sense of purpose; particularly when those scenes never lead to anywhere meaningful. Furthermore its messages are far too forceful and as a result lose their impact. A scene in which Bianca unfriends her friends on social media are funny. Until it becomes dragged out and the joke itself feels tired due to repetition.
It was almost unavoidable for 'The Duff' to overcome its own predictability. It has several twists yet nothing that spins the tropes of the genre on its head. As soon as the film begins you can tell the direction in which it is heading. Many audience members will appreciate this familiarity but I would have preferred these scenes to be spontaneous so I cannot tell the ending of the film in advance.
If you have never been a fan of cute girly high school comedies then 'The Duff' will not convert you. But for fans of the genre the presence of Whitman and Amell alone will substantially satisfy.
Bianca Piper is a teenager in her later years of high school. She just wants to be reasonably popular and have a boyfriend. However all possibility of this happening is gone when she attends a party hosted by the high school bully. Her friend Wes explains to her that she is the designated ugly fat friend of her social group or DUFF for short. Bianca seeks help from Wes to change her appearance in exchange she will help him pass his science class.
With a film like 'The DUFF', you need to bear in mind that it will not amaze you. Its sole purpose is entertainment value and ensuring that you have a great time, on that basis it is a success. That is equal parts funny and sweet.
Mae Whitman as Bianca Piper is a marvel. This is mainly due to the fact that you do not pity her character. But can sympathise with her because we have all faced the same pressures in high school and how we should conform to fit in with our desired social group. As a character she goes on a remarkable journey and along the way teaches us that we should not be jealous of other people and appreciate our own life.
Her voice-over that plays throughout the film is humorous and allows Bianca to say what she really thinks about certain individuals without verbally expressing her thoughts. Yes it takes some stabs at satire some too broad and others almost on the mark. This element just could have used some tweaking to fine tune it.
The male lead is Robbie Amell who plays Wesley Rush. He is the sports fanatic but funnily enough is not a stereotype. That's because his character has a heart even if he speaks his mind far too often. Amell is a revelation in his first major film role. I expected him to be a manifestation of everything that is wrong with male leads in Hollywood. Instead he served as a welcome addition to the film, that surprised me far more than I thought possible.
The chemistry between Whitman and Amell practically flows from the screen. They left my heart feeling warm and I for one would be more than happy to see them star alongside one another in the future. Their personalities differ significantly which makes it all the more entrancing when they offer their viewpoints on the world.
It does not hurt the film a considerable amount but in some scenes it loses a sense of purpose; particularly when those scenes never lead to anywhere meaningful. Furthermore its messages are far too forceful and as a result lose their impact. A scene in which Bianca unfriends her friends on social media are funny. Until it becomes dragged out and the joke itself feels tired due to repetition.
It was almost unavoidable for 'The Duff' to overcome its own predictability. It has several twists yet nothing that spins the tropes of the genre on its head. As soon as the film begins you can tell the direction in which it is heading. Many audience members will appreciate this familiarity but I would have preferred these scenes to be spontaneous so I cannot tell the ending of the film in advance.
If you have never been a fan of cute girly high school comedies then 'The Duff' will not convert you. But for fans of the genre the presence of Whitman and Amell alone will substantially satisfy.