Duff

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

In this tale which seems to take elements from Easy A and A Walk to Remember, Bianca (Mae Whitman) is told by her long-time neighbor and classmate, Wesley (Robbie Arnell) that she is the Designated Ugly Fat Friend (or DUFF for short).

All Bianca wants is Toby, and will even help out Wesley to get that. In A Walk to Remember kind of format the unlikely friends become close and Toby is revealed to also believe in 'the duff' as he yearns for Jess and Casey, Bianca's friends, in the hopes that Bianca will hook him up.

It all comes to a head with a She's All That-esque moment close to the end of the film. It's a low budget film, and there's not an all-star cast. I really only recognize Mae Whitman from Scott Pilgrim, Ken Jeong, and Allison Janney. Everyone else here feels forgettable.

Although everyone fills out their roles and no one sticks out like a sore thumb, the acting is what sells the film. Mae has perfect timing for her on-the-button lines to finish off scenes. Mae is approachable, which makes Bianca approachable.

I did find some things in the film out of touch, however. In the early stages of the blossoming friendship, Bianca dances and makes a fool of herself with a mannequin at the store while Wesley does his best to be Gerard Butler in The Ugly Truth. It's revealed that Wesley's ex is filming the whole situation and then later, Bianca accuses Wesley. It pains me how cringeworthy it is. Anyone with half a brain would realize he wouldn't do that and it was impossible to do it without Bianca noticing. The way that the recording is done is not subtle either.

Aside from that there are sprinkles of comedic moments and quotes throughout the film. It's light-hearted and not raunchy like American Pie can be. It's got some taste and some brilliant jokes. Overall, it's worth a view and anyone who enjoys teen comedies with a bit of romance won't regret it.

Tbh when I saw the name of the film I presumed it was about a pregnant girl. Never the less it's a good enough high school comedy coming of age film. Nothing new or special but there's enough laughs to get by and it's a heartwarming enough story. Fits the bill for a quiet night in not paying complete attention with a takeaway perfectly.

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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Without the chemistry btw its two leads, this movie would not have worked. Plus, the supporting cast of adults helped. This movie was better than it had any right to be.

Whitman has always been a talented actress. I look forward to her eventually getting some truly meaty movie roles.