L'école des dragueurs

"School for Scoundrels" tells the well worn story of a pushover who learns to become more assertive so that he can take charge of his life and finally get the girl. I didn't realize that the film was a remake but the fact that I found it hackneyed to begin with gives an idea of the level of originality we're dealing with here.

The cast contains a number of talented and funny individuals but they are unfortunately let down by the material. Looking at the cast list it's difficult to believe that the film is as mediocre as it is. The script just doesn't deliver the goods comedically and the story's too unoriginal to grab your attention. The technical aspect is no better than average either but I must admit that the soundtrack was pretty nifty.

In the end, I can only recommend this flick if you're absolutely starved for some comedy. There's little to be had here though those who don't mind clichéd stories may appreciate it more than I have.

In a world full of really moronic teeny bopper movies, thank the heavens we have Billy Bob Thorton. Here in "School For Scoundrels", he is as hilarious as ever!

Roger is a loser living in New York City. He has a terrible job, gets no respect from his co-workers, and has never dated a woman. Secretly, he has a crush on his neighbor Amanda, but is so shy, he can't get up the nerve to ask her out. When his friend recommends him to Dr. P (played fabulously by Billy Bob in his trademark type role), his life seems to be finally turning around. However, Dr. P has a secret agenda up his sleeve.

Billy Bob does a great job in this film, as well as all the other mostly unknown actors. The story was funny and fun. It's nice to see comedy films geared towards the "older" crowd. Had a few twists and turns I didn't see coming. Very enjoyable film! Overall, I give this film an 8/10.

If you enjoy a good comedy that's not all about fart jokes or satire (as all "comedies" seem to be these days), check it out! I'm sure you will enjoy it!

Jon Heder, dialing down the gawkiness of his breakthrough role in Napoleon Dynamite, stars as Roger, a spineless New York City meter maid prone to panic attacks and being picked on. He can't even muster the nerve to ask out the girl next door, Amanda, a warm-hearted Australian. Roger hits bottom when he's dumped (again) as a big brother, leading him to a secretive, cash-only class taught by Thornton's Dr. P, a self-styled self-help guru who shows weak men how to unleash their "inner lion." This films has an interesting story and premise but isn't all that great and it seems very usual compared to other films. At times it seems like it doesn't know what type of comedy it wants to be. Is it a black comedy that isn't dark enough? Or a dumb comedy that isn't stupid enough, or a gross-out comedy that isn't yucky enough? Or is it really just a romance comedy that isn't sweet enough? It starts out as a silly comedy then turns into a romantic comedy and ends that way. The film could have been much better but it wasn't so bad. Not very funny either. Decent and watchable film.

This remake of the 1960 version with Terry Thomas and Ian Carmichael lacks the originality and real comedy that version provides. I highly recommend sticking to the 1960 movie.

I saw a preview yesterday, and the movie is very funny in parts. I laughed so hard I cried a couple of times. On the other hand, there are times when the movie seems to drag on too long. In my opinion, this movie is two stories in one - and one works great, and the other not so much. The whole school for scoundrels thing is hysterical. Any scene with Heder and his buddies had the audience roaring. Jon Glaser was my favorite - will somebody get this guy his own movie, please?! But everything outside that was definitely not on the same level. Even the brilliant Ben Stiller, Sara Silverman and David Cross didn't work nearly as well, nor did the scenes of competition between Heder and Thornton. It's still worth seeing for the scenes that do work with his buddies though, as you don't get to laugh that hard too often. - Mikeontheriver