I was first introduced to the work of Edgar Wright at Comic-Con through his masterpiece, “Shaun of the Dead.” Going in I had no idea what I was about to experience. It was an unknown at that point, save for the guy sitting next to me at the screening; he had already watched the bootleg multiple times. Needless to say, by the first ten minutes I understood why he had broken the law so much. I then devoured Mr. Wright’s television show, “Spaced,” when a marathon ran on BBC America. And as time went on my suspicions about “Shaun” were confirmed: the film is perfect.
So color me surprised to find myself dreading Mr. Wright’s latest feature. Thanks to the advertising I was annoyed by the characters, the plot, and the style. Before I had even seen it! Such a fool am I. And as “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” began rolling I still wanted to hate it. I sensed an emotional detachment and gag editing. But then something strange happened: I gave in to the groove.
It is highly stylized, making full use of the visual and aural languages, employing pop-culture references to symbolize the feel of the characters’ lives. It is textured. It is frantic. The frames are in a frenzy competing for attention. Editors Jonathan Amos and Paul Machliss keep it all together and deserve the highest honor the industry provides. One sequence evokes the “Forbidden Planet” electrical id-monster. I get a rush every time I see it on screen.
Michael Cera is the self-centered title character, Scott Pilgrim. He is dating the underage Knives Chau, played by the dynamic super-cutie Ellen Wong, but he’s using her to distract himself from his previous heartbreak. It’s all fun and games, but inside he is miserable and taking everyone down with him, including bandmate and former lover Kim Pine, played to sarcastic perfection by Alison Pill. He first meets Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Ramona Flowers in his dreams and then meets her in real life. His determination to win her heart grows ever larger from that moment on until he is actually fighting in hand-to-hand, life-or-death combat with her Seven Evil Exes, who all own their scenes.
But does the sexy Ramona serve as the Princess Zelda or Peach of the movie? (Video-game references run rampant.) Is she just a figurehead, much like Knives was an instrument for Scott’s suffering? Or does she have her own character, warts and all? She joins in on a couple of fights and even throws Scott out on his ass when he’s being a jerk, only to be literally mind-controlled by the Ultimate Ex (Jason Schwartzman). But then who hasn’t gone crawling back when unable to move on? Ramona clams up for fear of getting hurt and hurting others, and just as Scott learns to be a better person and think of those other than himself, Ramona learns by the end to open up and accept someone into her own life. The door is, again literally, wide open. Together, as fully-developed characters, they decide to step through it.
That said, there is one aspect of the film that is without a doubt the breadwinner: Kieran Culkin. His character pops. But so does everyone else and the performances and situations keep getting better and better in my mind. So please don’t judge this before you see it. I guess that’s self-evident for all films, but it’s something to which we all fall prey at times. This one is distinct, daring, and confident. And as I alluded to in my previous review, “Winter’s Bone,” I respect confident filmmaking more so than the quality of the finished product. Fortunately the quality of “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” is exceptional.
“Winter’s Bone”
Jennifer Lawrence shines in an otherwise routine drama
If not for Jennifer Lawrence’s riveting performance, “Winter’s Bone” would be a by-the-book affair. Debra Granik, director and co-writer, adapts Daniel Woodrell’s novel with a steady hand; she knows exactly what she wants out of the film and how to get it. The story follows a 17-year-old woman raising her family in the Ozarks while desperately searching for her missing father, a crystal-meth cook gone missing who has put up the house as his bond. Everyone in the community is afraid and feral, delivering hearts both kind and cold in the span of a single breath, the most notable example being John Hawkes as the memorable Teardrop.
There is good music throughout and an effective scene in which a character must fish a hand out of the cold, murky water. The rest has been done a billion times before and there is no need for me to see it again except for Ms. Lawrence’s performance (she will portray Rebecca Romijn’s Mystique in next year’s “X-Men” prequel), the professional ensemble, and the craftsmanlike atmosphere.
Sheryl Lee fans will be delighted to see a familiar face.
My first real impression of Angelina Jolie was made during her “Tomb Raider 2” Q&A at Comic-Con in 2003. Two people from the audience independently brought up her role as the titular supermodel in HBO’s “Gia.” They explained how she inspired them to continue their fights against HIV/AIDS and she promptly invited them backstage to talk after the panel. It’s rare that you see such an engagement between stars and their fans, this being only one example of Ms. Jolie’s strong personality and charisma. Yet it’s this charm that works against her latest movie, “Salt.”
A typical run-of-the-mill, on-the-run-from-the-government thriller, “Salt” has just a hint of the gonzo waiting to burst out. Problem is none of that ever happens and everything plays out entirely too safely. The movie’s entertaining, never wears out its welcome thanks to a short running time—which it employs wisely to a degree—and uses just plain silly and absurd action to propel its equally silly and absurd plot. All of the story beats are predictable, but it had an interesting angle that I wish had been more fully explored.
Such a waste of potential!
This is where Ms. Jolie comes in. She’s Angelina Jolie. This I’ve never doubted. She’s somehow the best spy in her department, but all I see is Angelina Jolie. I highly doubt she’ll blend in with the regular people. She sticks out too much to be believable, but not enough to elevate everything to the next level of insanity. I love what little moments of hers shine through, but overall she is a pawn to the plot mechanics.
The same goes for everyone else. Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofer are great, both giving it a sense of coherence, but again it’s oh so predictable and oh so rudimentary. I need stronger characters to care! More time should have been spent on Evelyn Salt’s (Jolie) personal life, especially her relationship with her husband. Who is this guy? Why does his death (spoiler) mean anything to me? Like I said, it’s all played far too safely.
Now onto the action; that’s what I’m here for. I’m not mistaking this for anything more than a blast of pure entertainment, but again it comes up short with just a hint of greatness blowing in the wind. Like usual, slow down. Keep the camera steady. Be proud of the cool (expensive) stunts that were performed. Show them off!
If only this movie had stronger characters, good dialogue, and more iconic action and camera shots.
Alas, “Salt” needs more balls.
Note: I just found out "alas" means "salt" in Greek. Full circle, people.
New look, new feel. I am scaling back my ambitions for this site and increasing my editorial output.
Now home from my six-day respite to the masterly-planned San Diego, California, my eighth visit to Comic-Con is complete and I’ll have plenty of updates in the days to come.