The Unseen Movie Review - You Again

By Robert Dixter Sep 23, 2010, 15:42 GMT

A young woman returns home for her brother’s wedding only to find out he’s marrying her high school rival. ...more

There are two types of celebrities who really get tons of press. There are the A-list stars like Will Smith and Jim Carrey. These are guys who make news when they go of their houses and breathe fresh air. Then there’s the other end of the spectrum, people who are famous (and good looking) for being famous, although if you stopped to think about it you would wonder why you really care where Paris Hilton hides her cocaine.

This list also includes Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan (although writing “f**k” and “you” on your hands while appearing before a judge is the funniest thing I’ve heard all year), and any reality star who has been interviewed about their show and swears that it’s in fact “real” and not scripted. There is one exception to both of these lists, Kristen Bell. She gets so much press and she doesn’t seem to fall into either category. She’s not an A list actress and she’s certainly not a talentless party girl. Why do people care about her so much? And more importantly, with this much hype surrounding her shouldn’t she be a huge star at this point?

Kristen got her big break starring in Veronica Mars for the UPN network. Getting a break on the UPN network is a lot like a tree falling in the forest, who cares if it makes a sound? No one is there to hear it. But the show had plenty of critical buzz and Kristen’s career was launched. She ended up taking forgettable roles in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, When in Rome and most recently Couples Retreat. Her latest is You Again, which has such a generic title that it could be called When in Rome. So Kristen is getting a lot of work but when is she going to get that breakout role that shows she has true talent?

It’s not going to happen if she keeps accepting supporting roles in comedies where everyone is funnier than her. I don’t mean that as an insult, but if you want to get noticed for your comedic chops you should not take a role as a supporting player in a film with Russell Brand, Mila Kunis, Jason Segel and Jonah Hill. Those guys are effortlessly funny. Second, stop making forgettable PG comedies like When in Rome. Just because you got your start in television doesn’t mean that people won’t take you seriously as a movie star.

Look at Ryan Reynolds, that guy used to star in a show about a pizza place and now he’s going to be Green Lantern next summer and is proving he can act by doing an indie like Buried. The point is people like you Kristen, as is evidenced by the amount of press you get. But in order to build a career stop choosing bad roles, like your upcoming Scream 4. That trilogy was done years ago, and someone forgot to tell Wes Craven that a trilogy is just three movies. Another idea would be to never play a supporting role to a pop star like Christina Aguilera in the upcoming Burlesque, ask Justin Long about that one.

That’s the second lesson they teach you in Hollywood, right after never go away for the weekend with Charlie Sheen. It’s time to look for those indie roles that won’t pay the rent but will show off that you have the talent to stick around for a while. Why can’t you do the same things Michelle Williams is doing? You have just as much talent and she also got her start on a TV show (although to be fair her show did have a creek and a whiney Paula Cole song).

So I’m skipping You Again this weekend but I’m not giving up on Kristen, I think if she finds the right film we could find a future star. Why can’t she be Sandra Bullock in ten years?