Zoolander
It’s 2001. George W Bush was President of the United States. Tony Blair ruled the British Empire. Destiny’s Child and Dido ruled the charts. In the cinema, we followed The Fellowship of the Ring and Harry’s Potter journey through Hogwarts. And Ben Stiller was a famed male model. Zoolander hit our screens and taught us that there is much more to life than being really really ridiculously good looking.
Zoolander is about Derek Zoolander (Stiller) a famed, kind but dim witted male model. When new male model Hansel (Owen Wilson) ousts Zoolander from the top stop and a derogatory article about him comes out, Zoolander retires from male modelling to pursue a different career. However, fashion designer Mugatu (Will Farrell) and head fashion honchos need him as a pawn to assassinate the Malaysian Prime minister who plans to eliminate sweatshops. When Derek Zoolander is kidnapped and brainwashed, it is up to Derek, Hansel and reporter Matilda Jeffries (Christine Taylor,) to stop the devil plan and change the face of fashion.
(Pictured: the height of male attractiveness.)
Zoolander was based on a small skit Stiller made for VH1 Fashion Awards. So the film is written by Ben Stiller, produced by Ben Stiller and directed by Ben Stiller so putting himself in the main role was only inevitable. “Ben Stiller as a model?” I hear a lot of you cry. Well, essentially that’s one of the main jokes of the movie. With Wilson as Hansel these not aesthetically good looking men prancing around as though they are is wonderful. Not that it is needed, the witty dialogue, one liners and completely out there plot make Zoolander a classic comedy. Held up fantastically by Farrell and Taylor, Zoolander is great protagonist who doesn’t need many (or any) IQ points to make a splash. It is outrageous fun with so many jokes (and celebrity cameos) thrown in that you’ll be quoting for the rest of your life. And the actors have the comedic timing town to a tee. One of the funniest moments is Owen Wilsons reaction to Bulimia being mind-reading (video below.) I’ll give you just a teaser of some of the lines;
“Wetness is the essence of moisture and moisture is the essence of beauty.”
“I felt like ‘this guy is really hurting me.’ And it hurt.”
“Are you here to tell me what a bad eugoogoolizer I am?”
See, brilliance.
(Me after my billionth view.)
I had several lengthy debates about whether or not to class this as a stale treat or a cult classic. This was after several people classed it as “rubbish.” And to them I say “rubbish!” Zoolander is a genius piece of comedy that was under respected on its first release (it did poorly at box office but gained popularity through word of mouth and DVD sales.) The true essence of cult is based the wonderful being under appreciate and soon creating an obsessive following. Just ask those attending The Prince Charles Cinema Zoolander Quote Along. Ok, no it isn’t great art but it is great fun. Zoolander is a well scripted and well-acted film that is hilarious.
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