co-written for the screen and directed by Edgar Wright
[filmography: Ant-Man (2014), Hot Fuzz (2007), Shaun of the Dead (2004)]
also written for the screen by Michael Bacall [who is partially responsible for the 21 Jump Street movie in 2012, like it or not]
starring Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick, Alison Pill, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh, and Jason Schwartzman
ENJOYMENT: **** (out of 5)
"Really liked it"
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World did something with filmmaking that I have never seen before. The line between a special-effects-created fantasy and boring-old reality do not exist. The line between real actors acting and stuntmen doing cool stunt stuff does not exist. Edgar Wright pushed the envelope as far as he possibly could with this one and created a world that I just wanted to hop into at some points. The film almost created its own rules, kind of comparable to Speed Racer (2008)--the only difference though is Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was actually good. The first hour or so of the film was immensely beautiful, being filmed in Toronto in the winter and having brilliant cinematography to help tell its story. The characters were all brilliantly sculpted and portrayed by their respective actors, with Keiran Culkin serving as the obvious favorite of mine. He kind of plays his Igby Goes Down character, just in more of a supporting (though not necessarily supportive) role. Anyway, after the first hour, things get a little crazy and a lot gets crammed into the short remaining window of time. I can honestly say that in that first hour, I was wondering where I would fit Scott Pilgrim vs. the World in my top five of 2010; however, as the film wore on, it will be lucky to make my top 10.
The film has many qualities that are so endearing, and one of the most obvious is Michael Cera. For some reason, Michael Cera, who plays Scott Pilgrim, has caught the attention of the right people, though he's not on the screen for his sex appeal. He is, succinctly put, a young comedian, like a great comedic actor of our time ever, holding the audience and making it believable some how when he scores the hottest girl in the movie. Perhaps, in that sense, he's sort of a Woody Allen character--though I can't say he's like artist Woody Allen, because the artist Woody Allen has no equivalent. Anyway, The girl, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, is Ramona Flowers, the catalyst for setting this film in the direction it goes in. She and Scott fall for each other through a series of tactics Scott employs to capture her attention. It's cute and exciting and you kind of want things to work out for them. The film is filled with an ensemble cast, even at this point, and faces you have probably seen in other films, with Scott's roommate, his roommate's boyfriends, Scott's bandmates, and Scott's old girlfriend. This ensemble element creates a lot of interesting scenes, as they're all great characters in the film. However, the cute romantic teen comedy comes to curve in the road as Ramona brings her seven evil exes into the equation, who are out for blood and want to kill Scott if he intends on staying with Ramona. This is where the film take a turn, morphing into a full out action flick--although it's still like no action flick that has ever been done.
If you weren't already hooked by the time the film turns into a videogame-like fantasy caper, you may think it's the most ridiculous thing you have ever seen. However, if you're like me and most people I know, you will be more than willing to make this transition and sit back to enjoy one of the coolest looking films of the year. The special effects are seamless and of the highest quality, breaking the physics of real life and even previous films, comparable to something like The Matrix (1999), or, like I said earlier, Speed Racer (2008). Some great cameos take place throughout the film too, capturing incredible performances by these previously-considered mediocre actors. Now to think of it, the actors are what make this film so believable; they are so committed to their characters and supporting this fantasy world that you never think twice about its implausible nature. All in all, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was a big surprise and an incredibly entertaining and fantastic two hours. I recommend this film to anyone who likes a good, fresh story, lovable characters, classy humor, and original filmmaking.
No comments:
Post a Comment