| Overall Grade: |
A |
|
| Story: |
A- |
|
|
| Acting: |
A+ |
|
|
| Direction: |
B |
|
|
| Visuals: |
B+ |
|
|
Cluelessy Excellent!
by Jason T (movies profile)
Jul 28, 2006
2
of
2 people found this review helpful
1995 was a year for incredible roles for women. You had Elisabeth Shue in "Leaving Las Vegas", Susan Sarandon in "Dead Man Walking", Nicole Kidman in "To Die For", Meryl Streep in "The Bridges of Madison County", Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet in "Sense and Sensibility", Sharon Stone in "Casino", and Ms. Alicia Silverstone's wonderfully over-the-top brilliance in "Clueless".
"Clueless" is actually a retelling of Jane Austin's "Emma" (which Gwyneth Paltrow did the following year). But this time it's set in modern-day Beverly Hills, with Silverstone as the most popular girl at her school. She is Cher. She hangs with Dee, played by the unnnervingly gorgeous Stacey Dash. They love to "kick it" together because, as Cher states in her voice-over narrations: "we both know what it's like to have people be jealous of us."
The movie really isn't a plotted script, but more a series of funny gags and gimmicks, nicely held together by the screenplay by Amy Heckerling (who penned "Fast Times at Ridgewood High" and "Look Who's Talking"). This baby really doesn't get funny until Cher's attempt to make a loser of a girl (Brittany Murphy) into a pretty clone of herself. The movie is full of great one-liners ("Searching for meaning in a high school boy is like...searching for meaning in a Pauly Shore movie", "Would you call me selfish?" "No, not to your face") and great supporting performances (Dan Hyeda is a perticular standout as Cher's loveable but grumpy father). My personal favorite part in the movie is small and probably not noticeable to others. Cher is complaining to the housekeeper, and when the housekeeper says something not understandable, Cher says "You know I don't understand Mexican", the housekeeper yell offended "I AM NOT A MEXICAN!" Hilarious.
So the conclusion of "Clueless"? Well, Cher has spent the entire 90 minutes of the movie trying to make-over teachers, classmates, and grades. She finally decides to make-over her soul...and also hook up with her stepbrother Josh, whose sarcastic admirance for her during the course of the movie is subtley evident.
This is the film that should have earned Silverstone an Oscar nomination (as well as the script) and also a Golden Globe. She did however, win MTV's Best Female Performance of 1995 and Most Desirable Female (the latter an award Silverstone loathed- which got the award banned) and also the National Board of Review award for best breakthrough performance. "Clueless" is one of the funniest teen comedies of all time, because it's witty, interesting, and has excellent costumes! Alicia Silverstone is gorgeous, convincing and has remarkable comic timing. She struts her stuff so flawlessly it's as if a new sex pot has been born. A pity this was her last (and probably only) great role. As if! |
My Public Profile 
