Title: The Hottie and the Nottie; Cast: Paris Hilton, Joel David Moore, Christine Lakin, Adam Kulbersh; Director: Tom Putman; Screenplay: Heidi Ferrer; Cinematography: Alex Vendler; Editing: Jeff Melmberg; Producer: Myles Nestel, Victoria Nevinny, et al; Music: David Russo;: Location: Los Angeles, California; Genre: Comedy; Running Time: 91 minutes;
Technical Assessment: 2
Moral Assessment: 2
Cinema Rating: For viewers 18 and above
Nate Cooper (Joel David Moore) is a geeky bum who realizes his one true love is the girl he had a crush on in the first grade after his current girlfriend smashes his guitar on his head. He searches for Christabel Abbot (Paris Hilton) but is horrified to find out that she will not date anyone unless her repulsive and bitchy best friend June Phiggy (Christine Lakin) finds someone special. The condition is impossible since June is not only disgustingly unattractive but possesses a vile personality. Nate tries hard to find a man for June so he can have his way with Christabel, to the extent of paying a man to date June and giving a $2000 gift certificate for a spa make-over so that she will be less nauseating to be with. But his plan backfires when the girls meet a dentist/athlete/model who takes interest in June and eventually starts to fix her.
This is a bad movie—bad plot, bad script, bad acting, bad directing. The concept is unoriginal and poorly interpreted. Hilton and Moore are tormenting to watch and hear. The script is clichéd and has the most idiotic dialogues such as, “life without orgasms is… a world without flowers”. Characters are inconsistent and have no motivation. The storyline develops into a predictably brainless twist. The director seems to care less to produce a decent film than show off Hilton’s skin and curves at every opportunity. One can go on and on with what is wrong with the film that it is better to warn viewers against wasting time and money on this movie.
The Hottie and the Nottie aims to be a movie talking about beauty being skin deep, friendship through thick and thin and true love. The problem is none of these themes are actually seriously developed because the film just kept on raving about Hilton’s beauty and sex appeal and planting offensive and sick jokes about a woman’s ordeal when she is not as pretty and attractive as her co-star. Inconsistencies are extensive. As a movie about learning to look beyond looks, Nate only takes interest in June as soon as she transforms into someone prettier. Conveniently, June only becomes personable when her looks improve as though being nice were attached to looking nice. The seemingly tight and loyal friendship between Christabel and June is questionable because if Chris really cared about her less attractive friend, wouldn’t she have brought her to a dermatologist or cosmetologist and offer to help her look at least hygienic and agreeable. Instead she parades poor June to her suitors only to highlight their contrasting looks and make her appear a caring, down-to-earth friend. And as a story about finding true love, it merely obsesses about sleeping with the attractive hot girl even if one has to lie, intimidate, bribe or coerce. The movie is offending as it bullies people who fall behind the standards of beauty and treats them as a cruel joke. There are plenty of scenes and dialogue about alcohol and sex. This is not recommended for viewing at all.
