I'd seen this film on the DVD shelves many a time and passed it by, as it looked a bit trashy. I expected teen flick, lots of blonde hair, white teeth and cheesy dialogue. I wasn't surprised then when on of my best friends, a gay guy who's favourite actress is Lindsay Lohan and favourite band is Girls Aloud, recommended this. However I was surprised when my cousin who's more into country music, long difficult books and crossword puzzles also recommended it, referring to it as 'black comedy.'

After these two baffling conversations I saw 'Drop Dead Gorgeous' in Tesco priced at just £2. For that price, I thought, it didn't matter if I didn't enjoy it, it would cost me more to rent it.

Drop Dead gorgeous is set in Mount Rose, Minnesota, where the girls are competing to win the 'Mount Rose Teen Beauty Pageant.' The film follows the contestants in the battle to become the winner of the pageant, all are entering for different reasons, some for the attention, for something to do, for the money or because of pushy parents, but for our hero Amber Atkins (played my Kirsten Dunst) it's to be like her idol Diane Sawyer. Head of the pageant's committee is Gladys Leeman (played by Kirstie Alley), a control freak type character, who funnily enough is mother to one of the pageant's hot favourites, Becky (Denise Richards), pretty but not particularly talented. There is fierce rivalry between her and Amber's mother to make their daughter the winner. Cue lots of bitching back stabbing, and the mysterious deaths of some of the pageants contests along the way to find with winner of the 'Mount Rose Teen Beauty Pageant.'

So What did I think? Well I wasn't wrong at the hair and teeth bit, though I guess this is about a beauty contest after all. Apart from that, however it was not what I was expecting at all. The is film in documentary style, which is refreshing and adds a unique twist to the whole thing. This is a comedy, but it's not laugh out loud funny, though a few bits did make me smile at the witty visual jokes more than the spoken ones. As an audience we thoroughly sympathise with Amber who seems to be the only sane one among a town of crazy American women. Kirsten Dunst shines in this an I was surprised at her comic timing. Kirstie Alley makes a great slightly unhinged pushy mother and provides many of the films comic moments, though at times she can grate a little. There are a couple of brilliant supporting cast too, namely Brittany Murphy and Alison Janney.

Cast wise it was great, the plot was there, as good twist on the beauty contest movie, but it didn't make me laugh like I was expecting. I got the jokes and I understood what it was trying to do, it just missed the mark for me. I would watch it again, but I'd skip the 'seafood' scene. For those you have seen it you'll know what I mean, for those that haven't, I er.. won't spoil it!

This film is classified as a 15 and is available widely. £2 in the sale at Tesco!