Zoolander
(2001)
Hilarious. It is just damn funny to watch Ben Stiller
purse his lips and vogue as "Zoolander," a male model
with very little upstairs. Stiller created the character
for the VH-1 Fashion Awards a few years back and wisely
saw an opportunity for a feature film. The question,
of course, is can this character be funny for 90 minutes.
And the answer is yes. If you have a quirky sense of
humor and any sense of the absurdity of modern celebrity
"Zoolander will delight you.
The plot of Zoolander is pretty basic, but that's
really a moot point. Watching Stiller, Owen Wilson and
Christin Taylor (Mrs. Ben Stiller aka Marsha Marsha
Marsha from the Brady Bunch movies) play for 90 minutes
is just fun. Stiller and Wilson play rival male models
and the duo really get into the plot. Wilson is hilarious
as Hansel, a new male model. Wilson gets it! He understands
exactly what Stiller is trying to achieve here. Taylor,
meanwhile, has a more serious role but watching her
reactions to all the absurdity that goes on around her
is equally amusing.
Stiller, as director here, really works magic. He
creates a world that revolves around fashion and stockpiles
his sets and locales with billboards, magazines and
TV ads that hilariously point out the absurdity of modern
pop culture. His work in this area is only rivaled by
Gregg Araki, who works on a much more low budget scale.
"Zoolander," the movie, as envisioned by Stiller, is
as sleek, swaggering and self-involved as the character
is. It is visual perfection.
And Stiller really pulls out some amazing feats in
casting. Everyone who is anyone is in the film. From
the larger roles, filled by Jerry Stiller (Ben's dad)
and SNL's Will Farrell, to the cameos, with everyone
from Sandra Bernhard to Anne Merra (Stiller's mom),
Stiller peoples the film with the perfect celebs in
cameos and as second bananas. Farrell is hilarious.
Jerry is marvelous. Plus there are small roles filled
by Jon Voight, Vince Vaughn, Milla Jovovich, David Duchovny,
and an unrecognizable Andy Dick as a female masseur.
There is at least 20 people in the film who are credited
at the end as playing themselves and they include David
Bowie, Steve Kmetko, Billy Zane, Lenny Kravitz, Winona
Ryder, Fabio, Cuba Gooding Jr. and tons of others. This
film is filled with celebs and many of them poke fun
at themselves in interesting and wildly imaginative
ways. "Zoolander" is just a wonderful pop culture collage
that is actually in on it's own joke.
If there is any problem with the film it is only that,
sadly, it takes place in New York City. There is one
explosion in the film and it is jarring even though
it is meant to be funny. And the continual establishing
shots of the NYC skyline, of course, distract us, as
we wonder if we are going to glimpse the WTC towers
in them. "Zoolander" has no choice but to contend with
this. It is a funny, silly, mindless film that America
needs right now, something to take our minds off all
of the world's problems, if only for 90 minutes. But,
sadly, it consistently reminds us of the events in NYC
because the story is, as the plot would dictate, set
in the city.
Still, nothing can really distract from the hilarious,
absurd beauty that is "Zoolander." In the past few weeks,
America has really changed, hopefully forever. We are
kinder, gentler, wiser, more open, bruised, hurt, touched...
enlightened. We are more human then we have been in
decades. Suddenly, all the petty things we were so preoccupied
with, like celebrity, seems pretty silly to us. "Zoolander"
is the perfect film for the feeling in America right
now. With it's breezy comedy, it's sexual ambiguity,
it's free-wheeling charm, "Zoolander" reminds us how
good it is to be silly. How good it is to be alive.
How good it is to be American. How important it is that
we can poke fun at each other - and at ourselves. And
never take the jabs seriously. It is all in good fun
and, dude, everybody knows that fun rules! "Zoolander"
is, in many ways, a big, happy, cinematic hug. And God
knows we need all the hugs we can get these days.
Note:
Several old school songs are used in the film including
Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax," which becomes integral
to the plot. Bowie's "Let's Dance" is played for a moment
when he appears. A few old school songs are re-made
for the film including "Call Me" (Blondie coverd by
Nikka Costa), "Love to Love You Baby" (Donna Summer
covered by No Doubt), "I Started a Joke" (Beegees covered
by Wallflowers), and "He Ain't Heavy" (Hollies covered
by Rufus Wainwright).
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Report
Card
Script:
A+
Acting: A+
Cinematography\Lighting: A+
Special Effects\Make Up: A+
Music: A+
Final
Grade: A+
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