Poster for The DUFF. Photo/CBS Films
[dropcap]Y[/dropcap]our first impression from a title like The DUFF might be the movie is another gritty British crime drama (like The Sweeney or The Italian Job). Upon further review, you might be disappointed to find out that it’s not – more like another snarky teen comedy.
But you can breathe a sigh of relief because it is nothing like a John Tucker Must Die or a (mildly overrated) Mean Girls (really, it is…sorry). In the first case, DUFF is not dreadful; in the second, the film manages to be better (not hard…sorry).
The “DUFF” in question is Bianca (the very likable Mae Whitman), a delightfully nerdy high-schooler who has been informed by her jock neighbor and childhood friend, Wesley (Robbie Amell, brother of Arrow’s Stephen Amell, and who is quite funny here), that she fits into the obscure social stratum of “Designated Ugly Fat Friend” – get it now?
No surprise, this news sours Bianca’s attitude about her friends, and matters are made worse when embarrassing footage of her goes viral, isolating her further. Her only confidant left is old Wes, who might turn out to be (just maybe) the guy of her dreams.
With his movie-star good looks and physique, Robbie Amell is a star on the rise. Photo/Lionsgate
All told, the film impresses in the fundamental places – the story is amusing, the cast fresh, and the script is as witty and savvy as they come. Obsessed with technology in a postmodern fashion, as any contemporary film of just about every genre, The DUFF name-drops as many hip social-media sites at one time as possible (like someone on Twitter or Instagram who hashtags everything to make sure he trends).
When Bianca finally confronts her friends about her troubles, she informs them they are blocked on every site – including Pinterest and Tumblr (Ikr). A little later, Bianca’s mom (Allison Janney), trying online dating, sets up a JDate profile, even though she isn’t Jewish.
Bianca is bright, believable, and probably too cool for you: she’d rather watch a Vincent Price movie marathon than go to prom. Mae Whitman – an accomplished voice performer who has it in her blood – capably carries things.
Robbie Amell is no slouch either. There is palpable chemistry between Wesley and Bianca, and he has an earnest, redemptive quality – not such a bad guy in the end, even though his dimwitted comments light the fuse for all the shenanigans.
Comparisons to Mean Girls and 80’s comedies are abounding, but aren’t fair because The DUFF can stand on its own. It’s a film with heart that never takes itself too seriously amongst loads of references and in-jokes. The CW’s key demo will be its target audience, but don’t let that deter you.
(And if the term “DUFF” sticks with us, look on the bright side; at least “fetch” didn’t happen.)
