Page 6 O I The Clarion I Sept. 25,2009
Arts ci Lire
Film Review; Diablo Cody cheapens 'Body' of work post-'Juno'
by Krystyna Wagny
The Heights
U-Wire Content
If recent trends in the motion
picture world prove anything,
it is that vampires sell. From
“Twilight” to “True Blood” to
the “Vampire Diaries,” they
have popped up all over And as
always, sex sells.
Thus, it makes sense that a
certain crowd will be attracted
to “Jennifer’s Body” - and/or
Megan Fox’s body. This par
ticular movie offers little on either front,
however
Jennifer is not in fact a vampire, though
she is certainly possessed by the devil. Sex,
while certainly an underlying theme, takes
up little of the screen time. What, then, is
the appeal of “Jennifer’s Body”? Tmthfully,
it’s difficult to say.
The movie stars Megan Fox as Jennifer,
the sexy “K” girl of Devil’s Kettle High.
From the beginning, she constantly ma
nipulates those around her
This includes her best friend since child
hood, aptly nicknamed “Needy” (Amanda
Seyfriend - Karen from “Mean Girls”).
The trouble begins when Jen drags
Needy to a rock show featuring a city band
called Low Shoulder at a local “club.” Jen
nifer is particularly interested in the lead
singer, played by an eyeliner-bedecked
Adam Brody.
When the bar catches on fire, the plot
takes a tragic turn, which sends the town
into mourning, and Jen into a rather altered
state.
Through several flashbacks throughout
the movie, we see how Needy and Jen’s
friendship developed in the sandbox and
come to understand why Needy feels she
caimot “tell” on Jen for her actions.
However, the first scene of the movie
features Needy in a mental institution,
so clearly when the truth did come out it
wasn’t given a warm reception.
The only person Needy does confide in
is her boyfriend Chip (Johimy Simmons).
Cute and iimocent, he plays a rather un
expected role in the movie’s only real sex
scene.
The movie may have set out to scare, but
moments of real terror were few
and far between.
The suspense was often
broken by scenes of awkward
comedy, frequently provided
by a local teacher (J.K. Sim
mons).
The action snaps back and
forth from horror to high
school, but never lets the
viewer get too uncomfort
able.
A film such as this seems
unlikely to come from Diablo
Cody, who won an Oscar for
the screenplay of 2007 hit “Juno.”
Was she joking? High? Enamored with
the idea of making a crappy horror film?
It’s hard to say.
However, some parallels may be made.
She clearly has a fascination with high
school and its main patrons, high school
ers.
Most of the major cliques are repre
sented. The jocks, the artsy emo kids, and
the nerds all make an appearance, and all
succumb to Jennifer’s charms. Apparently
there is equality in the world.
It seems the point of this motion picture
was to display just how manipulative and
cruel high school girls can be.
In the introductory scene. Needy says,
“Hell is a teenage girl.” The story then
seeks to prove that claim. From the start,
Jen is aggressive and coimiving.
She targets men and tosses them away
without a second thought. Ironically, the
term “man-eater” takes on new meaning
when she begins snacking on her conquests
in dark aUeys.
While wholly unconvincing, and far
from a cinematic achievement for any of the
professionals involved, “Jeimifer’s Body”
stfll entertains.
It lags at points and fails to explain
anything until late in the chomp-fest, but
it frequently makes fun of itself and aUows
forplenty of jokes to be made at its expense
in the meantime.
For those who like the adrenaline rush of
being scared out of their minds, and typi
cally stay tuned at points when most of us
shut our eyes and start frantically popping
milk duds, this film wfll likely disappoint.
But for those of us who have plenty of
time and like an occasional laugh at some
one else’s expense, “Jennifer’s Body” wiU
provide.
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