"The only thing separating me from her is the two minutes it's gonna take to kick your ass."
I was justifiably nervous. Edgar Wright, director of my beloved Hot Fuzz, had released his first film produced in the US, based on an existing story and without Simon Pegg in the lead. A week ago it opened to decent reviews but awful public attendance at the US box office, and is not projected to even earn its budget back theatrically. Such a result is potentially crippling for Wright’s career, and should the film itself be forgettable or flawed the young director’s third film could be the beginning of his own end. Thankfully this film will develop the necessary cult following to eventually consider it a success, as having seen it I can now say it is absolutely brilliant and deserves every hard fought penny it earns.
The premise of Scott Pilgrim Vs The World is a fantastic extended metaphor. In order to win the heart of his dream girl Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Die Hard 4.0), Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera, Juno) has to fight (or rather defeat) her seven evil exes. In the course of his battles he learns more about Ramona and she learns more about him, and they question whether they are even right for each other at all. The film uses the structure of a classic fighting game, but rather than hurt the film with its simplicity the fights further the plot in the way a musical uses its songs. Each battle stands alone within its own environment and elements, but these episodes also build as a unique part of the larger story. The use of exceptionally good fight scenes to tell stories connects SP Vs TW to another passion of mine – professional wrestling. Both are essentially concerned with the nature of conflict, but more importantly the male association between conflict and reward. In this case the reward is a relationship, but Wright is smart enough to hold this up to scrutiny. There are countless video games where a male protagonist fights through numerous stages to win the love of a token female. SP Vs TW is fully aware that this simple love story is one which my generation has been exposed to countless times in our young lives. The way this is celebrated and criticised is astute and justifies other creative decisions across the film.
The cast is great, a collection of names who are recognisable but not huge stars. Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman and Chris Evans all delight as members of the "League of Evil Exes", while Michael Cera revels in his type-casting and delivers an iconic protagonist for his time and place. Mary Elizabeth Winstead finally breaks through into a central role and is as adorable and attractive as any object of desire in film or gaming history. She keeps the audience interested by flickering between levels of sincerity that tease a vulnerable person inside a cold shell. Even when she seems too mean or distant to be attractive, she will move her eyes or say a word in just the way to suggest she really just wants to be loved.
With film editing there’s a wrong way, a right way and the Wright way, a category all of its own. The final act of Hot Fuzz was almost perfect, but in SP Vs TW; Wright takes his talent for constructing action and telling stories through editing and to all new levels. (It shocks me to learn he did not keep Academy Award winner and 2-time feature collaborator Chris Dickens on as editor. SP Vs TW has a very similar style of editing to both Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, which I can only attribute to Wright.) Some critics have called the film repetitive, and if by that they mean SP Vs TW is edited awesomely from beginning to end then the film is guilty as charged. How anyone could tire of Wright’s action direction is a mystery I may never understand. With his third film he has solidified his standing as one of the most talented directors alive today and proven his previous films were not carried by Simon Pegg or Nick Frost.
Another talent Wright hinted at in his previous films on full display here is the integration of digital effects with live action. Due to amazing art direction and sound design drawing from a wide variety of sources, the prolific effects never intrude and serve to enhance every moment of the film. From small statistic graphics to monsters made of sound, they consistently impress. The key elements to this design are the video games of the 80’s and 90’s, but also the comic books of the 60’s. This blend of styles and eras reflects clearly the interests, trends and fashions of myself and my peers born at the end of the 80’s. As such the film may be unappealing to most other demographics (unquestionable at this point, in fact), but to a large group of 22 year olds it hits a resonant chord in ways unlike any other film ever made.
In short, the film sacrifices mass appeal to achieve a purity of vision unlike anything else in Hollywood cinema. It is exciting, funny and absolutely unique. Edgar Wright has arrived at last, and now stands to become one of the definitive directors of this new decade – even if he has to fight the world to succeed.
*****
(UK Release: 25th August 2010)
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