The Duff (2015)

This is not a movie.

This is a science experiment.

The object is to establish once and for all whether films like Heathers, Easy A, and Mean Girls (among others) were actually quality productions -- or whether there is just something so magically interesting about High School romcoms that ANYBODY with a camera and a script they recently crayoned on the back of a menu can make a successful film...?

Well, the results are in.

Turns out you actually need a good story, a good script, a good director and charismatic actors to pull off a decent film in this genre.

Which pretty much eliminates this entry from the competition as it seems to have none of the above.

(Although Whitman and Amell both show potential, and one suspects with better material they COULD shine)

I have reviewed a lot of films but I cannot easily recall one where every opportunity for entertainment was either sabotaged or missed completely.

The film actually panders to its audience, throwing around internet tradenames as if, by their sheer volume, they can elevate the viewing experience.

At the 30 minute mark, the audience is asked to believe that two teens engaged in picking outfits in local department store could possibly "miss" the fact that they are being video'd by a third teen half-hidden behind a rack of dresses....? In Film School they explain that these are the sorts of "subliminal" turnoffs which make the viewer uncomfortable on a subconscious level, even if the conscious mind misses it.

Have no fear -- in this film the script repeats the same trope at the 1:00 mark where the same third party secretly videos the same couple, only this time in the woods.

Watta script!

Does the term "creatively bankrupt" strike a chord?

The ending tries, and that is the most I can say about it.

If anything it tries too hard, and in other reviews I have talked about the filmic dangers of putting too much "message" in your movie.

However in the case of this film, by the time you get to the end -- assuming you can -- the film-makers have made so many other mistakes that "too much message" is the least of their worries.

Fmovies: It's a fresh idea ,, new definitions and it's kinda purposeful which makes it a bit exciting .. not the type of comedy where you laugh your A$$ off ,, but it has more than a bunch of funny bits which made it fine in that area. Ken Jeong appearance was one of the few of scenes that intrigued me to keep on watching the movie, Hilarious man.. to be fair ,, this project would look so much better as a TV movie or probably as a series on CBS, and it could hit huge success, but the idea of series based on these type of stories is not really new on TV (like "Awkward" 6 seasons so far on MTV which is a success),, the plot seemed entangled but it went toward a clear goals .. the writing looked okay ,, tight in some parts but still it didn't help much to cover some holes in the production as there were a couple of still scenes in the mid of the movie.

As for the cast ,, it was well picked .. again Ken Jeong in the beginning of the movie ,, he was really funny ,, the girl from "parenthood" ;) Mae Whitman she has flown up high to be really good funny gal and all the other girls as well were fine,, Chris Wylde was hilarious in the end of the movie :D ,, Robbie Amell really good acting all popular and careless .. "you were nerdy on fire in the flash" :D :D,, adding the lovable Allison Janney i think all of that crew made the movie a bit more funny and well it helped out with the rating.

Overall,, it is fresh enjoyable movie .. with a funny bits from another perspective and not forgetting to shine a light on cyber bullying problem.. so it is a recommended.

A film that was expected not surprise, but he did happily. Fun, shows modern and contemporary themes with a comic and natural touch. It presents an interesting terminology. It is predictable in parts of the plot and has clichés, but still the good parts of the film stand out more.

Mae Whitman provides a lovely, funny and intelligent character, Robbie Amell was interesting and fun too. One possible bright future for both. Allison Janney always great.

A nice movie with several moments to laugh and better than the other trash teen movies. I enjoy it a lot. 8/10

The Duff fmovies. The DUFF is quite entertaining and has a really nice poignant message. The film captures life, I mean the characters, and I'm mostly referring to Wesley (Robbie Amell) and Bianca (Mae Whitman), are realistic, humanized. I got a weird sense that I was watching people I knew and not a stereotypical film version of them. The movie has that documentary feel to it and it's due to how the leads portrayed their characters and how easy it is to relate to them.

The only real disappointment I have with the movie is that I thought it would be funnier. It's still a comedy but it's a little more serious than I expected. Watching the trailer I thought that I would laugh a hell of a lot more, specially when you look at the established comedic cast in it. Whitman and Amell do have good comedic timing and The DUFF is fairly funny but the quality of the jokes are not as high as I hopped they would be.

The story is intelligent, insightful, and kind of funny but it's still very predictable. The DUFF is on the edge of being great but it's not.

@wornoutspines

I had the pleasure of going to see the NYC premiere last night with my sister and was pleasantly surprised. Mae Whitman's performance in this film has set her up to be Hollywood's next breakout star. She brings so much humor, wit and charm to the table that's going to make her fans wanting more.

Viewers will also identify with Mae's struggles in the film, as well as the overall message. I think we could all agree that everyone has has a DUFF in their friend group. DUFF doesn't always have to mean ugly or fat (it can, but it doesn't always apply). One example of a DUFF can be a friend that's always just kind of there in the friend group and makes everyone else look better. Another example of a DUFF, which is similar to Mae's character in the film, is the friend of the group that is hilarious and makes everyone die laughing, but is rarely someone a guy is attracted to or would be looking to date. There are different dimensions to the term duff. No duff is the same.

Every one person can have a little DUFF in them. Meaning, a flaw, insecurities, etc. Overall, the film was funny, even a bit crude at points, but also very touching. I'd definitely recommend it.

Take a look around and survey your group of friends, are they all good looking? Then you might be the designated ugly fat friend, or the DUFF.

Bianca's life becomes undone when someone reveals to her that she is the DUFF to her prettier and more popular high school friends. Frustrated, she retaliates by instigating the status quo and social hierarchy at her school.

This comedy finds its laughs as Bianca, played by Mae Whitman, desperately tries to reinvent herself and overcome DUFF status. A chronic DUFF, she can't do it alone, and makes a deal with her neighbor Wesley (Robbie Amell) to undo the damage.

A fan of Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell is the clear star of this film. Playing an endearing jock without being a cliché is quite a feat and his performance is scene stealing without being a parody.

From that plot alone there is not much to the story within the high school film The Duff. The film injects an archetype antagonist, played by Bella Thorne, the most classic mean girl ever invented. This character's existence is solely responsible for the plot feasibly being stretched to feature film length – otherwise the DUFF would be relegated to a solitary episode plot line on a WB television series.

Though briefly marketed as the Mean Girls of the 2010's, it really is in an inferior class in comparison to the phenom that was (and is) Mean Girls. The writing, plot and direction are all ho-hum: funny enough for a one time watch with your girlfriends with popcorn, but that's about it.

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