Personally, it left me Clueless (Clueless (DVD))

Member Name: cmh4135

Product:	Clueless (DVD)
Date:	20/04/09 (138 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A few funny moments and some good stereotyping that doesn't get offensive

Disadvantages: Shallow and uninspiring

FILM ONLY REVIEW

Perfection is a hard thing to deal with. Cher Horrowitz has perfection in buckets: a fantastic mansion, the designer wardrobe, doting friends, what more could she want for? It appears that what she actually craves is the acceptance and attention of her step-brother, Josh. Josh sees Cher as self-centred and selfish and shuns the attention which she craves. Cher is determined to prove him wrong.

Setting out to prove that she can do things for others without an ulterior motive gets off to a interesting start as project number one is not what you'd call wholly altruistic. Things get better, although life's not working out quite how Cher envisages. It soon becomes obvious that Cher's ability to mastermind the lives of others is not reflected in her ability mastermind her own life.

If the plotlines seem familiar there could be a number of reasons, the most significant of which is that Clueless is essentially a reworking of Jane Austen's Emma. The stereotypes abound to the point of hilarity - were they to be played down just slightly there are parts that could almost be offensive but the far-fetched nature of the characterisation keeps us on track.

Whilst this is clearly a fun film it's one that I couldn't really get into. There's a great soundtrack from a variety of artists. The visuals are interesting and we are drawn into the situations with the aid of first person narration from Cher. Ultimately, however, I wondered what the film was trying to achieve. For me, it didn't really do justice to the original Austin and yet it didn't stand alone either. Most reviews of the film that I have read, rave about this as a chick flick (or even more) but I just couldn't find the vibe.

Alicia Silverstone gives credence to Cher, giving her a warm character aside the obvious spoiled brat. Brittany Murphy shines as new girl Tai, and, for my money, puts in the better performance. Personally, the male roles didn't do anything for me and none of the performances really stood out.

As a whole the film was, for me, watchable, but no more. It suffered from shallowness with little to redeem it. A few funny moments lifted the mood momentarily but then it was back down to wondering whether there was anything else on that would be more worth watching.

Summary: This chick flick just didn't hit the mark!