Clueless? As if! (Clueless (DVD))

Member Name: Mildew82

Product:	Clueless (DVD)
Date:	31/10/09 (81 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Clever satire with gags and laughs all the way though

Disadvantages: Some jokes may be lost of you are unfamiliar with Emma

Written and directed by Amy Heckerling in 1995, Clueless is a clever little satire on the self absorbed world of rich high school kids living in glamorous Beverly Hills, with the added bonus of being based upon Jane Austen's 1816 novel Emma.


The Plot
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Our beloved 19th Century heroin Emma has been modernised and replaced with the character Cher. Cher is a stereotypical rich kid - 15 years old, living in a massive Beverly Hills mansion, part of the popular clique, highly privileged and utterly superficial. Cher is living the perfect life and seemingly has it all figured out. With her ability to argue her way out of anything and a seemingly successful talent in matchmaking which benefits her whole class with inflated grades born from loved up teachers, Cher is the most popular girl in school.

But, with annoying ex-step brother Josh to contend with Cher beings to hit a few snags and when the "adorably clueless" new girl Tai arrives on the scene and Cher takes her under her wing it soon becomes clear that Cher may not know as much about the world as she thinks she does. When her attempts at matchmaking Tai with one of the popular kids Elton go horribly awry we are left wondering just who is really the clueless one?


My thoughts
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Quite simply Clueless is a hilarious film from start to finish. The entire style of the film is one of satire poking fun at the shallowness of a teen life with few boundaries and limitless funds. The majority of the humour is derived from the childish antics of the characters and the exaggerated teen-speak - here are my top 5 favourite quotes in no particular order to give an idea of the general silliness of the dialogue:


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Cher: I feel like such a heifer. I had two bowls of Special K, 3 pieces of turkey bacon, a handful of popcorn, 5 peanut butter M&M's and like 3 pieces of liquorice.

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Cher's Dad: What the hell is that?
Cher: A dress.
Cher's Dad: Says who?
Cher: Calvin Klein.

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Dionne: Hello? There was a stop sign.
Cher: I totally paused.

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Cher: If it's a concussion, you have to keep her conscious, okay? Ask her questions.
Elton: What's seven times seven?
Cher: Stuff she knows.

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Tai: Do you think she's pretty?
Cher: No, she's a full-on Monet.
Tai: What's a Monet?
Cher: It's like a painting, see? From far away, it's OK, but up close, it's a big old mess. Let's ask a guy. Christian, what do you think of Amber?
Christian: Hagsville.
Cher: See?


Not exactly on a par with Jane Austen's renowned wit found in Emma and her other novels, but the clever style makes up for the inanity of some of the dialogue producing a fantastically comic effect.

I think the film works on two levels. If you are already familiar with the novel Emma than you will obviously already know how the film will play out but can enjoy seeing the parallels between this modern day adaptation and the original book and the quirky changes to make the story fit into modern day life. For those unfamiliar with the original storyline this film also works as a straightforward parody of the lives of self-absorbed and shallow rich kids so either way there is much amusement to be gleaned from this film.

Despite the fact most of the "teenagers" were played by 20+ year old actors as a lot of Hollywood films seem inclined to do, the general vibe of the movie is of youthful merriment so this really doesn't detract from it at all. The standard of acting was very high especially with Alicia Silverstone being perfectly cast in the crucial role of Cher. She pulls off the superficial, self absorbed but yet still kind hearted teen with exquisite comic timing.

The rest of the supporting cast are also excellent in the roles of adding humour and keeping the hilariously upbeat flow running smoothly all the way through the film. Paul Rudd was great in his role as Josh with some genuine chemistry between himself and Alicia Silverstone and Brittany Murphy as Tai also showed a fine aptitude for comedy (if you've seen her in more serious roles such as Don't Say a Word her great range of acting skills are very apparent).

One other thing I particularly loved about this film is the really great soundtrack. All the tunes (barring a couple of depressing Radiohead tracks) are fun and upbeat and just add to the happy vibe of the film:


1. "Kids in America" (The Muffs)
2. "Shake Some Action" (David Lowery)
3. "The Ghost in You" (Counting Crows)
4. "Here [Squirmel Mix]" (Luscious Jackson)
5. "All the Young Dudes" (World Party)
6. "Fake Plastic Trees [Acoustic Version]" (Radiohead)
7. "Change" (Lightning Seeds)
8. "Need You Around" (Smoking Popes)
9. "Mullet Head" (Beastie Boys)
10. "Where'd You Go?" (The Mighty Mighty Bosstones)
11. "Rollin' With My Homies" (Coolio)
12. "Alright" (Supergrass)
13. "My Forgotten Favorite" (Velocity Girl)
14. "Supermodel" (Jill Sobule)
15. "My Iron Lung" (Radiohead)


I must confess that as a teen before I hit that rebellious I only want to listen to heavy metal and complaint rock phase I even purchased this soundtrack for a small sum of English pounds.


The Cast
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Alicia Silverstone - Cher Horowitz
Stacey Dash - Dionne
Brittany Murphy - Tai
Paul Rudd - Josh
Donald Faison - Murray
Justin Walker - Christian
Elisa Donovan - Amber
Breckin Meyer - Travis
Jeremy Sisto - Elton
Dan Hedaya - Mel Horowitz
Wallace Shawn - Mr. Wendell Hall
Twink Caplan - Miss Toby Geist


Film Overview
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Director: Amy Heckerling
Country: USA
Certificate: 12
Runtime: 97 mins
Film Release Date: 20 October 1995


Conclusion
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Clueless is a bit of a teen flick but it can easily be enjoyed by all as either a clever satire or an original and modern adaption of an old classic Jane Austen novel. With hilarious dialogue, a tremendous soundtrack and a fantastically upbeat feel all the way through the movie it will have you in stitches at the exaggerated silliness of teen life.

Clueless is a superb feel-good movie and at only £1.99 for a copy of the original 1995 release or £5.28 for the 10 year anniversary 2005 release it is an absolute steal. Duh! Like totally buy it!

Summary: A hilarious comedy with a great twist in an Austen classic, you'd be mad to miss it