Film Review: Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World

Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World- directed by Edgar Wright

The familiar tale of the neurotic, self-obsessed and unambitious twenty-something negotiating the perils of courtly love and a seemingly unattainable woman finds new life in the post-Atari, pixelated universe envisioned by pop-culture satirist-at-large Edgar Wright.  Scott Pilgrim as production value is slick, popping, and extraordinarily entertaining; but as for the narrative, well, there is nothing new under the Sun or Hollywood- think Annie Hall for the Ritalin generation.  

Adapted from the innovative graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O'Malley, Scott Pilgrim follows the lovelorn adventures of Toronto slacker and bassist Pilgrim who, between sets with his garage band, falls in love with the enigmatic American Ramona V...a proposition that forces Pilgrim to battle her seven "evil exes" to attain her.

The concept is Malory meets Palahniuk, as the film negotiates the unenviable task of relating the mythological freedoms inherent in comic book universes to the realism of film- but in the end, unlike the projections of Tyler Durden or Patrick Batemen, it matters little just how much of the action only takes place in the protagonist's mind.  Director Edgar Wright (who made his satirical bones with the cult hit Shaun of the Dead and the Hollywood bashing Hot Fuzz) spins the smart and angsty material into a clever satire of the overreaching globalization of  pop-culture and the saturation of social technology into the modern teenage experience. 
If, in satire, as Northrop Frye insists, "...irony is militant", then Wright allows the troops to stand down- his loving send up of all things pop at times drifts to homage, dripping in Tarantinoesque gushing over the subject of his intended ridicule.  However, in Wright's hands, the style so overtrumps the substance that you are charmed wholeheartedly into the world he snickers at.
The cast is remarkable, and the the two leads- played with gusto by Michael Cera and Mary Elizabeth Winstead respectively- animate and enchant.  Anna Kendrick and Jason Schwartzman are reliably brilliant; more surprising are the amazing turns by lesser-known members of the supporting cast- including exceptional performances by Chris Evans, Kieran Culkin, and newcomer Ellen Wong.
A moment here to recognize star-in-the-making Mary Elizabeth Winstead- the long established "Scream Queen" of several recent- and forgettable- horror films.  Until now, Hollywood has grossly under-used Ms. Winstead, alternating between scared and pouty in roles more suited for screams than nuance.  But as Ramona, Winstead exhibits a vulnerability and ingenue that is eerily reminiscent of  Drew Barrymore in her prime. She is positively crush-worthy... thirty minutes into the film, I was as ready as Scott Pilgrim to stalk her at hip parties, pine for her on swingsets, and do battle with any number of evil guilds or leagues as might be required to be the object of those smoldering glances.
All in all, Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World is fresh, exuberant, frenetic and fun.  The script is ironic and hip, even if, at times, the visual flourishes threaten to overtake what is at heart a classic teenage tale of unrequited love- think an 80's John Cusack film re-imagined by Baz Luhrmann and a panel at Comic-Con. 
Special kudos to the films hip soundtrack which becomes, by extension, almost an additional supporting character with contributions by Beck, Metric, Broken Social Scene, Cornelius, and David Campbell. 



The great irony of the film is encapsulated in a throw-off line by arch-villain Jason Schwartzman- "Do you have any idea just how long it took me to get everything prepared for the League of Evil Exes?  It took like over two hours!".  The tongue-in-cheek remark reveals the pitfalls of targeting what could have been a great film to the demographic of the sound-bite generation.  Sometimes, gentlemen, it is OK to just let your characters walk- and talk- at length and without expectation.  Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World is original and ambitious-but flawed...and yet you are having so much fun that you don't seem to mind.

Rating:  * * * out of * * * * stars.