Film Review: Leighton Meester Borrows the Soap in ‘The Roommate’

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CHICAGO – The latest “It” girls and guys have been collected for the “Meeting of the Marketed Movie,” the showcase for the latest actor brands. It’s titled “The Roommate, “ and Leighton Meester (”Gossip Girl”), Cam Gigandet (”Twilight”) and Minka Kelly (”Friday Night Lights”) lead the way.

Rating: 2.5/5.0

The film is obviously being used to display these beautiful and hunky thespians to the next generation of filmgoers, and despite being shoehorned into a dull, redundant psychological “thriller,” the make-up artists and hair stylists have done their job.

Minka Kelly, despite looking like she’s in her mid-twenties, portrays a bright-as-a-penny college freshman named Sara. She is a fashion designer about to be mentored by Professor Roberts (Billy Zane), a perfect combination for the University of Los Angeles. On her first night, she luckily connects with party girl Tracy (Alyson Michalka), and celebrates heartily at a local fraternity, where she also hooks up with hunky drummer Stephen (Cam Gigandet).

Coming home from the party, she meets her new roommate Rebecca (cue ominous chord) and immediately the new girl seeks Sara’s approval and friendship. In fact, she seems a little too interested in Sara’s life and interests. For example, when Tracy comes around for friendship purposes, Rebecca creates a scenario that threatens the party girl so much, that she moves out of the dorm. Game, set, match.

The oblivious Sara keeps Rebecca close to here, despite all evidence that says “run away!” The closeness becomes more creepy, as Rebecca adopts the same tattoo as Sara has, and ingratiates herself by lavishing bizarre attentiveness towards all of Sara’s favorite things. When finally Sara gets the message and alters the situation, The Roommate will travel the road to payback time.

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Roommate”

Roomies: Minka Kelly as Sara and Leighton Meester as Rebecca in ‘The Roommate’ Photo credit: Jamie Trueblood for Screen Gems

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Roommate”