3.31.2008

Danny DeVito! I love your work!

I rewatched Mean Girls this afternoon, and I am definitely happy to have returned to the world of the Plastics after a few years time. I'm happy to report that Mean Girls not only holds up nicely, but seems to have gotten more approprate with age. The ultitimate message of the film (that the only thing worth spending your energy on is being an "actual human being") is not just universally positive, but also a very topical message for this decade of gossip websites and willful hihilism and superficiality.
I miss Lindsay from the pre-going crazy movies, like this. She was a damn fine actress.



I also recently watched Southland Tales, Richard Kelly's oft-delayed and maligned follow-up to Donnie Darko, and I'm confused as to why it has gotten such vehemently negative reviews so far. The film is a mess, clearly, but the worst aspects of it [the overlong prologue, the under-developed plotlines, and Cindy's truncated character arc] were obviously forced upon Kelly by the studio (see a partial history of the troubled making and editing of the film here). Otherwise, the film is a fascinatng,jumbled sci-fi comedy that bit off just a bit more than any film could possibly chew. The cast is uneven, but in a wonderfully silly way that doesn't distract from the film's hodge-podge aesthetic. Sean William Scott is the stand-out, but Dwayne Johnson, Justin Timberlake, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Mandy Moore are all given chances to stretch and play around with their public and screen personas.
The plot of the film is purposefully convoluted and frustrating, but it is nowhere near as obtuse as Darko's vague, ominous portentousness. But, truthfully, I miss the consistency of Darko, which was an extraordinarily well-orchestrated debut.
I need to watch the film again and write something a little longer than this.

Nathaniel Tyson

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