Finally, in a summer where there seems to be nothing new, nothing original, nothing exciting, a film comes along that reminds you of the word: entertainment.
I'm hoping "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" will find the audience it deserves, although something tells me the studio is trying to bury it not knowing how it can be marketed properly. What it did, was get me out of my stupor, I was watching a film in the theatre, and I was aware that I was, it wasn't just going through the motions waiting for the credits to role by, it was being invested in the film all the way through.
"Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" is based on a series of comic books about a Toronto kid who plays bass for a band. When we meet Scott (Michael Cera), he doesn't seem like the type of guy you would root for. He's a bit of a lady killer, he's currently dating a new girlfriend after a strand of new girlfriends, this one is a cute 17 year old high school student (Ellen Wong) who has the biggest crush on him. Scott's casual dating is a compensation after being dumped a year before by a serious girlfriend who went off to make it big in her own band.
Things change when Scott runs into Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who he falls for hard. Scott and Ramona begin dating, at the start without him breaking it off with his high school fling. Things get more complicated however, when Scott finds out Ramona has seven evil exes (That's right exes, not ex-boyfriends, she went through a lesbian phase) who are bent on fighting him to the death.
Did I mention that Scott Pilgrim's life is drawn up as if in a video game, where his friends are given stats, he gets Canadian coins when he defeats his enemies, and he can actually get extra lives when he can? This is part of the charm of "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World", which is really about him learning life lessons.
The film was directed by Edgar Wright, that wonderkind imported from England who is mostly known for his work with Simon Pegg on "Shaun of the Dead" and the more hilarious and underrated "Hot Fuzz". Wright fuses together both comic book and video game elements to create a fun, kinetic world that is fully satisfying.
"Scott Pilgrim" isn't just the most original mainstream film of the year, but it's also the funniest. The cast which includes Cera, Winstead Kieren Culkin, Mark Webber, Brandon Routh, Anna Kendrick, Johnny Simmons, Chris Evans, and Jason Swartzman, go with the spirit of the movie all the way, and deliver great deadpan performances all suited for the film. Cera is often criticized for playing the same role over and over again, however in this he proves just how proficient a comic actor he can be. It's a marvel at what little he actually does, but how much neurosis he can give off, he's like a fusion of Buster Keaton and Woody Allen.
This summer has been lackluster to say the least, in fact I would say it has been the worst summer in a long time. "Scott Pilgrim" comes off as a breath of fresh air, it's pop art at the highest, and even though it's a different genre, it shares a lot with last summer's most original and exciting movie "Inglorious Basterds". It's a film made by a man who wants to give a film experience to the audience, someone who likes making movies and uses the medium to its full advantage. When I watch a movie by people who love movies it inspires me.
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