FILM REVIEW Scott Pilgrim vs The World

Ian Berriman | Film reviews, Reviews | 29/07/2010 16:42pm
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The Pilgrim’s progress

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Cert TBC * Duration TBC * 25 August
Director: Edgar Wright
Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Jason Schwartzman, Anna Kendrick, Chris Evans

From the moment the Universal logo slides on screen in 8-bit, midi-melodic glory, you know that director Edgar Wright, a man who’s already claimed his place in the geek pantheon with such well-loved titles as Shaun Of The Dead and telly favourite Spaced, has stepped up his game even further.

When Wright had the first volume of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s idiosyncratic Scott Pilgrim pressed into his palm a few years ago, it was clearly love at first read: O’Malley’s quirksome, genre-twisting blend of manga, videogame culture, indie style and fresh spin on the age-old saga of boy meets girl was seemingly made for Wright to whip onto the screen with his trademark zeal.

And so it has come to pass, with this dazzling, energetic, sharp and endlessly engaging tale of a twentysomething emotional drifter who suddenly realises (when he meets the girl of his dreams and has to both step up and grow up to win her heart) that some things in life can’t be ignored, avoided or laughed off. Some have sniffed that Scott Pilgrim isn’t motored by real emotion, or that it’s simply a videogame brought to life. But that’s missing the point – here, we’re in Scott’s headspace, and sharing the unique way he views the world. He was raised on a diet of gaming, Star Wars, anime and thrift stores, and this is an extension of his inner life projected for all to see. The emotion is there, just presented in a new way. Just as a musical has its protagonists breaking into song to express their feelings, so Scott Pilgrim breaks into Mortal Kombat-style challenges between romantic rivals – a rom-combat, if you will. It’s also a giant metaphor for Scott’s evolution from self-satisfied slacker to more rounded man. And it works wonders, with graphics flying off the screen every which way, to an ear-wowing mixtape of electronic score and catchy music from the likes of Beck and Metric.

The casting of Michael Cera as the titular hero caused some raised eyebrows and furrowed brows when it was first announced, since while he’s demonstrated fine comic timing, he’s seemingly been locked in similar roles that do little to demonstrate any acting level beyond nervy emo worrier. Pilgrim pushes him a little further, and Cera digs deep to find the badass within. It’s not always a successful quest, but it does lead to a few moments where you watch him bring out different shades of the main character. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, meanwhile, is a sexy, strong Ramona Flowers (object of Scott’s affections).

But it’s in the ensemble where Pilgrim really shows its strength. The likes of Kieran Culkin (Scott’s gay conscience/room mate Wallace Wells), Aubrey Plaza (sarcastic and lethally sweary acquaintance Julie Powers), Ellen Wong (the dedicated girlfriend who sees her affections brushed off once Ramona enters the picture), Mark Webber (as Scott’s band mate Stephen Stills) and Allison Pill (enthusiastic drummer Kim Pine) are brilliantly cast and supremely funny. While Cera and Winstead are the meat of the film, they’re the spice.

Then there are Ramona’s evil exes, whom Scott must battle to get the girl. One or two (such as twins Kyle Katayanagi and Ken Katayanagi, played by Shota Saito and Keita Saito) are given shorter shrift in the drive to keep the movie moving, and others (such as Chris Evans’s Lucas Lee) aren’t on screen as long as they deserve to be. But that’s largely a matter of hewing closely to the comic – Lee really is only in a couple of scenes. But each character is worthwhile and the chosen actors play them to perfection, with Mae Whitman’s ninja lesbian Roxy and scene-stealing smoothie Jason Schwartzman as Gideon Graves particular highlights.

The movie cannily keeps a lot of what made the books an engaging read, while departing at the odd necessary juncture so that the story works just as well on screen as it does on the page. It’s all wrapped in astounding visuals shot by Matrix cinematographer Bill Pope, with the clashes erupting in neon madness and well-executed choreography that will have your blood pumping. Densely packed with so many touches that reward more than one visit, this is more than fried gold. It’s solid gold.

James White

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 29th, 2010 at 4:42 pm and is filed under Film reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.