Who would have thought a mass-marketed, fluffy teen comedy rented from a Redbox would be the latest film to earn the Grand Hyperbole Treatment from Indie Insights.
This reviewer has a tendency to "adopt a film", declare it the greatest work of art since The Enlightment, ignore/rationalize any flaws and defend it against all, less sophisticated critics (see 21 Grams, Wendy and Lucy, An Education). Easy A has done it; put the wind back in my cinephile sails after a 2010 spent largely in the doldrums of so-so or not-as-good-as-I'd-hoped film experiences.
Finally, for the first time since September, 2009 I can say; "I haven't seen a film this good since An Education."
Easy A is the smartest teen comedy I have ever seen. It's filled with literary and cinematic references, paying blatant homage to the John Hughes teen comedies of the '80s. The staging, music, props and dialogue of the final scene refer to 3?, 4?, 5? different '80s films where the girl/guy ends up with the guy/girl we all knew he/she was meant for all along. In this film however, the guy she's meant for isn't QUITE so obvious. He pops up now and then asking her if she's OK while she acts out her elaborate schtick.
The dialogue and situations are witty and smart, referring back to themselves on several occasions as the film progresses (the boy actually DOES end up running off with the hulking black guy, "my apologies to Mark Twain".) And the song Olive ("my name is an anagram for I love") hates but spends the weekend with in the opening sequence ends up as the ring tone on her cell.
I love how Olive embraces the role her childish classmates have cast her in, takes it over the top and basically ostrasizes herself. She's smarter and more aware than her peers (especially the Jesus freaks the film bravely mocks) so she takes their foolishness and riffs on it for a few weeks seemingly just to amuse herself as she's the only one who gets it. (Accepting gift cards from her classmates in exchange for pretending she had sex with them is somehow a brilliant commentary on today's youth culture). But she still has empathy for the fools and helps them out. When she finally breaks down but encounters a fellow "real person" she asks "where were you two weeks ago?" (as in, maybe I wouldn't have put myself through all this bullshit).
We need not say more about Emma Stone as Olive other than she is a major talent.
I could go on and on about the great moments in this film but, please, discover them for yourself. There may not be much realistic here, taken as a depiction of high school life, but there is much that is witty, clever and sincere.
Okay, one disappointment. I haven't even mentioned the hilarious quirky parents, but they're great. Also great, the weird high school guidance counselor. Anyway, Olive's smart, hip, progressive dad picks a movie for family night and it's The Bucket List. Must have been a commercial tie-in.
Easy A. It's funny, witty, poignant...best film of 2010.
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Wow. A 10? I thought you were joking when you said so on the phone.Your description of the film is very accurate. Yes, I am one of your "less sophisticated" critics. Sounds like an insider's movie. I stick with my 6 rating. Maybe if I had gotten all the film references and allusions I would have enjoyed it more. And you can get by the "not much realistic" but I cannot get past the mid-20s actors playing high school kids. Somehow I can with stage plays and opera. But not with movies. Glad you enjoyed it so much.
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