独领风骚

最近一次在银幕上见到Rudd是在《怪兽大战外星人》，他给里面某动画人物配音。当然wulo的直接反应是“快看，这个就是friends里面最后和phoebe在一起的男人”，我正在回忆的时候，他补充一句“同时还是很多剧里面扮演gay”——说到这里我想起了《我爱伴郎》和《好孕临门》，里面也都有Rudd。其实他真是可爱的，文质彬彬气质淡然，清爽的很。

这个电影就是一个90年代中期好莱坞出品的少女系无脑电影，之后出现了数不清类似其的chick flick，但是从片中女猪使用的大哥大。。来看，这个片子绝对算的上是同类型片的鼻祖。影片讲述了一个在中学很受欢迎的、口才好/因此成绩很好、心眼又真的很好的富家女在帮助他人的同时发现自己真爱的故事（真。。。爱。。。说这两个字我好想去死。。）从头到尾没有该类型片常见的“一帆风顺--〉邪恶的人作怪--〉打败邪恶的人--〉皆大欢喜”的桥段，顶多只有中途一点点的不顺心，总的来说看电影的过程不会不舒服。女猪Alicia后来还出演了《蝙蝠侠与罗宾》，oh，那真的是我初中时代的故事了，很怀念。不过话说回来，1995年，人家都在富家女大哥大高级服装社交名媛了，我还苦哈哈的土了吧唧的在上初中一年级，穿的还是蓝色运动校服，一脸没吃饱的样子。

wulo从头到尾都幸福的蜷缩在沙发上，表情和动作都随着剧情的变化而变化——比方说。。。托腮冥思、为她人发出心满意足的微笑、有情人终成眷属的兴奋的叫喊——我说我真的从来没有发现原来你的内心住着一个少女~他说自己之所以热爱《暮光之城》的原因就是因为里面的青春可人儿们的浪漫美好生活。anyway我们都觉得女猪Alicia最后没有大红成影后挺可惜的，她那么美，真的好美啊。

这是一部可以和情人在沙发上抱着爆米花看的消闲电影。请注意，观影时，要怀揣着一颗火红少女心。

Title: Clueless
Year: 1995
Country: USA
Language: English
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Director/Writer: Amy Heckerling
Music: David Kitay
Cinematography: Bill Pope
Cast:
Alicia Silverstone
Brittany Murphy
Paul Rudd
Stacey Dash
Dan Hedaya
Justin Walker
Jeremy Sisto
Breckin Meyer
Donald Faison
Elisa Donovan
Wallace Shawn
Twink Caplan
Julie Brown
Rating: 6.6/10



Transposing Jane Austen’s EMMA to Beverly Hills, Amy Heckerling’s 90s chick flick CLUELESS was a sleeper hit upon its release, spawned one less toothsome TV series, and has charmed its way with a cult following ever since.

What quintessentially demarcates this one from the derogative genre’s other huge supply of glops? It must be its attitude, which is devoid of self-importance in spite of that the whole picture is built upon a milieu predominantly reeks of snobbery and superficiality, ornamented by a pleasurable dosage of self-mockery.

Our heroine is Cher (Silverstone), a 16-year-old high school girl seems to be privileged of everything (beauty, youth, wealth and sagacity: knows how to give a wide berth to her inane male peers and more than willing to save her virginity for the one she will fall in love with), who has an unusual down-to-earth streak and all she wants is to be a Good Samaritan, plays match-maker to her two teachers, and determines to help an awkward blow-in Tai (Murphy) to gain popularity, and her BFF Dionne (Dash) is also on board.

An unmistakable girl-power through-line sails alongside the film’s polymorphic themes, ranging from adolescent crush (on a friend of Dorothy, a very spunky move to inject a positive vibe to the often sidelined minority), “he is not that into you” misunderstanding, chirpy school rivalry (a wonder at then where bullies are excluded within the context), to realize what/who a girl really wants (a corny epiphany under the fountain sending a homage to GIGI, 1958). A hiccup will duly arise, girls will squabble, but at the end of the day, for Cher, friendship is the real deal, in company with finding her Mr. Right (of course, no high-schoolers).

The recurring gag of “as if” might now sounds like a flea in the ear for all its affectation, but understandably, that also underlies its appeal, a spoiled blondie’s unashamed mannerism nonetheless, the whole scenario is lubricated by a good-natured cause and propelled by a crescendo of emotional honesty, you have the irony, humor and eye-candies in one combo! Two decades on, it is somewhat bemusing that Alicia Silverstone hasn’t catapulted into the A-list à la Emma Stone (nor is she led up the garden path à la Lindsay Logan either), her career would stick in a limbo ever since that ill-fated BatGirl offer. She has that “it” girl look and sweetness, and plies her shallow character with unstinting ammo of assurance and cutesy allure. The late Brittany Murphy, in her second film credit, also carries off an effervescent mien as the ugly duckling, a tad barmy, but not a shrinking violet steeped in lament.

Definitely capturing the teen spirit of 90s in America’s posh sphere, and thanks to a cunning maneuver of its time-honored source story, CLUELESS is high on wishful romanticism and low in adolescent toxin, harmless refreshment to a weary soul.

referential points: Douglas McGrath’s EMMA (1996) 7.1/10; Vincente Minnelli’s GIGI (1958), 6.6/10; Will Gluck’s EASY A (2010) 7.2/10; Mark Waters’ MEAN GIRLS (2004) 6.8/10.