Review - Jennifer's Body
Sep. 20th, 2009 11:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
trancer21Jennifer's Body is a tale of two movies, not of maintext versus subtext but two seperate movies fighting for dominance in which, ultimately, the oft-told (and tired) conventional one wins.
[This review comes with a trigger warning]
The most horrifying scene in this movie isn't one with tons of gore or special effects, it doesn't involve a knife or claws or sharpened teeth. All it is is a scene with a van door closing on the face of a frightened young woman who's been quickly coerced inside.
I knew going in that my expectations and anticipation of this movie were probably going to be greater than the movie itself. So, while I wouldn't say I was expecting to be disappointed, I kept expecting for this movie to go in a direction it never did.
Despite it's 'girl power' veneer, Jennifer's Body (or more directly, Jennifer) is nothing more than a vagina dentata. Which turns an interesting premise into nothing more than another movie about male fears of female sexuality. Which is ironic considering this is both written and directed by women. It's not about *that* scene, the one written above. It's not about Jennifer's revenge against a culture/society that treats her as a consumable, a product to be ogled, used and exploited. It turns into a(nother) movie in which the female is the monster that even her best friend must destroy.. because she killed her boyfriend, eg, we're meant to see Jennifer hitting on Needy's boyfriend as an evil act but not Needy's boyfriend reciprocating Jennifer's advances.
And then there's the *other* movie, the one that gets lost and ultimately loses to the above. And this part shocked the heck out of me because I wasn't expecting the subtext to be so.. texty!! Heh, it's like at Merlin levels of subtext!! Anita "Needy" Lesnicki (Amanda Seyfried) and Jennifer Check (Megan Fox) have been friends 'since the sandbox'. They're total opposites. Needy's the geek, Jennifer's the popular cheerleader and no one knows why the two are friends. On the surface, Jennifer's played as the conceited HBIC, who's just using Needy as the sidekick. But, seriously, MF plays it like she's been crushing on Needy since.. since the sandbox. Needy looks at Jennifer in a way she *never* looks at her boyfriend. It's a subtext that carries through the majority of the movie, leading to one of the hottest kisses I've seen in a *long* time.
On the one hand, I feel like I can't be disappointed in what the movie *is* - an above average teen horror movie. Yet, most of my disappointment stems from what it *could* have been - a commentary/metaphor regarding teenaged female anxiety/fear. The movie attempts to tack on a 'positive' ending with Needy seeking revenge against the men who turned Jennifer into a monster (after, you know, spending the past 90 minutes portraying Jennifer as a monster in need of destroying) but it rang hollow. The movie skirts the edge of subversiveness but, ultimately, plays it safe. Imo, horror, especially good horror, is not about playing it safe.
[Trigger warning] Which goes back to the scariest scene in this movie - Jennifer getting into the van with the band Low Shoulder. That particular scene, and the one that follows it, is played like a gang rape. Jennifer, stunned from the fire at the bar where Low Shoulder was playing, is lured into the van by Wolf (Adam Brody). The reaction shots of both Needy and Jennifer are of the 'oh fuck, something *really* bad is about to happen' variety. Later, Jennifer shows up at Needy's house. Jennifer's seriously bruised, bloodied and in a semi-shock state. I guess this is the point where the movie turned left on me. Because, imo, if you're going to 'go there' then *go there*. While Jennifer wasn't actually raped (although the sacrifice scene is pretty squirmy), the rest of the movie isn't about 'what happened to Jennifer', or finding the creeps who did this to her, it becomes about Jennifer 'the female monster' and the hapless males that fall into her path. Although I'm not sure a man-eating, bisexual monster is the *better* alternative.
Despite all my bitching, I have to say I did like it. But a lot of my criticisms come from my conflict over what the movie is versus what I wished it had been. I'm not saying my vision would be better, just that, considering the people involved, I expected this to be a bit.. smarter. I guess I'm still looking for *that* movie.. the one starring women that's actually about women instead of textually about men. Hopefully, Bitch Slap will be it.
Random Comments
- Adam Brody plays an excellent jerk who is both charismatic and creepy. Although, I did spend a fair amount of the movie going 'who *is* that guy?'.
- I thought Karyn Kusama did an excellent directing job. I've bitched about the current Hollywood trend of muting the color tones. Here, it felt/looked like a painting on a black canvas. Everything's dark with splashes of color. My favorite shot was the one of Jennifer swimming in the lake - this giant dark expanse with a tiny drop of color in the middle.
- I have a feeling a *lot* of this movie got left on the cutting room floor. Aside from the obvious line used in the trailers that was cut in the movie? Lance Henrickson does *not* show up to play bit parts!! When he came up near the end, I was like 'wtf is Lance Henrickson doing in this movie?'.. and then the movie ended. Oh, and the almost topless shot was cropped as well.
- There's some great dialogue in this movie. Sadly, it's overshadowed by Diablo Cody's cringe-worthy attempts of 'trying too hard'. "Salty"? Seriously, SALTY!?!
- The during scene where Low Shoulder are about to sacrifice Jennifer, the guys start singing 'Jenny 867-5309'. What I liked about this part is that it starts out funny, like a great tension breaker to a serious scene but then it lingers until it's no longer funny but incredibly creepy.
- Which brings me to the 'kissing scene'. Was it exploitative? Of course it was! But, like the above, it lingers and goes on *way* longer than anticipated until it becomes not about the male desire to see two hot chicks making out but Jennifer and Needy's desire for each other.
- Seriously, 'lil Needy and 'lil Jennifer were *adorable*. Like I said, this movie is seriously gay for a major studio release. And I loved the underlying thread of Needy and Jennifer being 'bonded' to one another.
- While I understand movies are all about suspending one's disbelief and I can suspend that disbelief pretty far, asking me to believe Amanda Seyfried as the unattractive, nerdy chick? Not gonna happen!
- And I know I'm like the biggest Megan Fox apologist second to, like,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fembuck but I thought she was really good in this. Sure, her performance is probably not going to change the minds of her most vitriolic haters but she gives the Jennifer character more layers and depth than what was probably intended.
[This review comes with a trigger warning]
The most horrifying scene in this movie isn't one with tons of gore or special effects, it doesn't involve a knife or claws or sharpened teeth. All it is is a scene with a van door closing on the face of a frightened young woman who's been quickly coerced inside.
I knew going in that my expectations and anticipation of this movie were probably going to be greater than the movie itself. So, while I wouldn't say I was expecting to be disappointed, I kept expecting for this movie to go in a direction it never did.
Despite it's 'girl power' veneer, Jennifer's Body (or more directly, Jennifer) is nothing more than a vagina dentata. Which turns an interesting premise into nothing more than another movie about male fears of female sexuality. Which is ironic considering this is both written and directed by women. It's not about *that* scene, the one written above. It's not about Jennifer's revenge against a culture/society that treats her as a consumable, a product to be ogled, used and exploited. It turns into a(nother) movie in which the female is the monster that even her best friend must destroy.. because she killed her boyfriend, eg, we're meant to see Jennifer hitting on Needy's boyfriend as an evil act but not Needy's boyfriend reciprocating Jennifer's advances.
And then there's the *other* movie, the one that gets lost and ultimately loses to the above. And this part shocked the heck out of me because I wasn't expecting the subtext to be so.. texty!! Heh, it's like at Merlin levels of subtext!! Anita "Needy" Lesnicki (Amanda Seyfried) and Jennifer Check (Megan Fox) have been friends 'since the sandbox'. They're total opposites. Needy's the geek, Jennifer's the popular cheerleader and no one knows why the two are friends. On the surface, Jennifer's played as the conceited HBIC, who's just using Needy as the sidekick. But, seriously, MF plays it like she's been crushing on Needy since.. since the sandbox. Needy looks at Jennifer in a way she *never* looks at her boyfriend. It's a subtext that carries through the majority of the movie, leading to one of the hottest kisses I've seen in a *long* time.
On the one hand, I feel like I can't be disappointed in what the movie *is* - an above average teen horror movie. Yet, most of my disappointment stems from what it *could* have been - a commentary/metaphor regarding teenaged female anxiety/fear. The movie attempts to tack on a 'positive' ending with Needy seeking revenge against the men who turned Jennifer into a monster (after, you know, spending the past 90 minutes portraying Jennifer as a monster in need of destroying) but it rang hollow. The movie skirts the edge of subversiveness but, ultimately, plays it safe. Imo, horror, especially good horror, is not about playing it safe.
[Trigger warning] Which goes back to the scariest scene in this movie - Jennifer getting into the van with the band Low Shoulder. That particular scene, and the one that follows it, is played like a gang rape. Jennifer, stunned from the fire at the bar where Low Shoulder was playing, is lured into the van by Wolf (Adam Brody). The reaction shots of both Needy and Jennifer are of the 'oh fuck, something *really* bad is about to happen' variety. Later, Jennifer shows up at Needy's house. Jennifer's seriously bruised, bloodied and in a semi-shock state. I guess this is the point where the movie turned left on me. Because, imo, if you're going to 'go there' then *go there*. While Jennifer wasn't actually raped (although the sacrifice scene is pretty squirmy), the rest of the movie isn't about 'what happened to Jennifer', or finding the creeps who did this to her, it becomes about Jennifer 'the female monster' and the hapless males that fall into her path. Although I'm not sure a man-eating, bisexual monster is the *better* alternative.
Despite all my bitching, I have to say I did like it. But a lot of my criticisms come from my conflict over what the movie is versus what I wished it had been. I'm not saying my vision would be better, just that, considering the people involved, I expected this to be a bit.. smarter. I guess I'm still looking for *that* movie.. the one starring women that's actually about women instead of textually about men. Hopefully, Bitch Slap will be it.
Random Comments
- Adam Brody plays an excellent jerk who is both charismatic and creepy. Although, I did spend a fair amount of the movie going 'who *is* that guy?'.
- I thought Karyn Kusama did an excellent directing job. I've bitched about the current Hollywood trend of muting the color tones. Here, it felt/looked like a painting on a black canvas. Everything's dark with splashes of color. My favorite shot was the one of Jennifer swimming in the lake - this giant dark expanse with a tiny drop of color in the middle.
- I have a feeling a *lot* of this movie got left on the cutting room floor. Aside from the obvious line used in the trailers that was cut in the movie? Lance Henrickson does *not* show up to play bit parts!! When he came up near the end, I was like 'wtf is Lance Henrickson doing in this movie?'.. and then the movie ended. Oh, and the almost topless shot was cropped as well.
- There's some great dialogue in this movie. Sadly, it's overshadowed by Diablo Cody's cringe-worthy attempts of 'trying too hard'. "Salty"? Seriously, SALTY!?!
- The during scene where Low Shoulder are about to sacrifice Jennifer, the guys start singing 'Jenny 867-5309'. What I liked about this part is that it starts out funny, like a great tension breaker to a serious scene but then it lingers until it's no longer funny but incredibly creepy.
- Which brings me to the 'kissing scene'. Was it exploitative? Of course it was! But, like the above, it lingers and goes on *way* longer than anticipated until it becomes not about the male desire to see two hot chicks making out but Jennifer and Needy's desire for each other.
- Seriously, 'lil Needy and 'lil Jennifer were *adorable*. Like I said, this movie is seriously gay for a major studio release. And I loved the underlying thread of Needy and Jennifer being 'bonded' to one another.
- While I understand movies are all about suspending one's disbelief and I can suspend that disbelief pretty far, asking me to believe Amanda Seyfried as the unattractive, nerdy chick? Not gonna happen!
- And I know I'm like the biggest Megan Fox apologist second to, like,
fembuck but I thought she was really good in this. Sure, her performance is probably not going to change the minds of her most vitriolic haters but she gives the Jennifer character more layers and depth than what was probably intended.![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
on 2009-09-20 07:17 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2009-09-20 08:24 pm (UTC)I tried not to be too negative with Jennifer's Body. I do think it qualifies as Queer Horror. It's just that portraying female sexuality as an evil monster has been DONE TO DEATH (and reminded me way to much of the Masters of Horror episode Jennifer), let alone another movie in which 'the queer one' dies. I'd just categorize this as more a horror movie *with* women as opposed to a horror movie *about* women. And I just don't understand why, in Hollywood, the two are mutually exclusive.
no subject
on 2009-09-20 08:30 pm (UTC)I think that here's you've hit the nail on the head for why the movie could never be COMPLETELY satisfying.
If the movie WAS about Jennifer taking revenge on people like Roman who exploited her, she would still be a monster that would need to be taken down.
But as it is, Jennifer is victimized as a human, she is - as you pointed out - metaphorically raped by Low Shoulder, and then she continues to exploited and used once the demon takes over (only really able to free herself of it's control when she's in danger of hurting Needy).
In this scenario she still must be put down, but it can't really be a satisfying death because Jennifer is a victim in all of this.
Because, imo, if you're going to 'go there' then *go there*. While Jennifer wasn't actually raped (although the sacrifice scene is pretty squirmy), the rest of the movie isn't about 'what happened to Jennifer'...
Word. I mean, I think the whole inception of the movie came out of a simple idea like, "Teenage girls are scary, imagine if they had to eat people," but then in the writing of the script all sorts of other issues came up with that the simplistic base idea couldn't accommodate. To really deal with the issues that are provocatively brought up but ultimately forgotten it would have had to be a much more serious, much smarter film (and I'm not really convinced Diablo can write a really smart film as opposed to quirky, entertaining ones).
So yeah, like you, even though I liked the movie there are some things about it that I just have to stick my fingers in my ears and go 'lalalalalalalala' about in order to sustain my enjoyment.
I thought Karyn Kusama did an excellent directing job.
The film really did look delicious. I think one of my favorite shots was the one of Needy running through the words in her prom dress at the end. Those shots were so delicious looking I wanted to have them for dessert.
I have a feeling a *lot* of this movie got left on the cutting room floor. Aside from the obvious line used in the trailers that was cut in the movie?
Here's the script for your perusal. I've only skimmed through it at this point, but I think that a lot of the stuff cut from the script was better left cut (not to mention Kusama made the arrangement much better).
Thank goodness for Kusama because she was pretty spot on with the trimming and certain changes in tone (read the beginning of the script and Needy comes off like a complete asshole).
In fact, based on the script it seems like Kusama is responsible for quite a few things that I liked about the movie, like one of my favorite moments, namely Needy tearing off the BFF necklace, and that being what takes the fight out of Jennifer, as well as Needy's emptiness after completing the act.
no subject
on 2009-09-20 09:32 pm (UTC)True but not necessarily. I think had the movie differentiated between the demon inside Jennifer versus Jennifer herself, as opposed to the demon 'amplifying' Jennifer's man-eater nature, it could have gone in a different direction.
When I'd read the premise, I honestly thought the movie would be a lot more cracked out than it was. Which was probably my fault for watching a lot of Japanese and Bollywood movies beforehand. Like, I was seriously expecting a movie in which Needy and Jennifer road-movie their way across the back roads as they track down Low Shoulder all while Needy attempts to prevent Jennifer from eating people.
Except, in the movie, there's *never* any doubt on Needy's part that ALL of Jennifer is evil. There's no other option presented other than death. There's no desperation on Needy's part to get her friend back. Like, a 'rape-revenge' flick is about as cliched as a 'female as monster' movie but at least in the former you know those assholes are gonna get what's coming to them!
So yeah, like you, even though I liked the movie there are some things about it that I just have to stick my fingers in my ears and go 'lalalalalalalala' about in order to sustain my enjoyment.
Lol, that's me watching Merlin.. and about 98.5% of everything else!
..like one of my favorite moments, namely Needy tearing off the BFF necklace, and that being what takes the fight out of Jennifer, as well as Needy's emptiness after completing the act.
Oh yeah, I really loved that part. I also loved the 'blood bond' thing with 'lil Needy sucking the blood from 'lil Jennifer's hand then, years later, Jennifer biting/sucking the blood from Needy. Because there's nothing gayer than the exchange of fluids and two people being inside the other!
no subject
on 2009-09-20 09:52 pm (UTC)*sigh* I would have liked to see this movie. Just thinking about it is making me giggle.
*sigh* I would have liked to see this movie. Just thinking about it is making me giggle.
<i><Except, in the movie, there's *never* any doubt on Needy's part that ALL of Jennifer is evil. There's no other option presented other than death./i>
This did bother me too. It's like, Jennifer told Needy that Nikolai had used some sort of chant/summoning spell to turn her. You'd think that while Needy was researching succubus' that she'd have looked into seeing if there was a way to reverse what had been done to Jennifer.
<i>I also loved the 'blood bond' thing with 'lil Needy sucking the blood from 'lil Jennifer's hand then, years later, Jennifer biting/sucking the blood from Needy.</i>
I hadn't even thought of that, and now I'm going 'awwwww' even harder than ever. And it calls back to a line from the script that I wished they'd kept in now, where Needy takes about how she and Jennifer are bonded and can just 'feel' each other. They kind of hinted at it in the movie what with Needy knowing Jennifer had showed up at her house before Jennifer even rung the bell, and perhaps with Needy getting visions when Jennifer was attacking people, but sometimes its nice to have things spelled out for you ;)
<i>Because there's nothing gayer than the exchange of fluids and two people being inside the other!</i>
LOL! So true. I also loved that a part of Jennifer is still living on in Needy through the bite that gave Needy some powers. Jennifer's love for Needy stops her from killing Needy and at the same time gives Needy the strength she needs to take revenge for Jennifer.
no subject
on 2009-09-20 08:31 pm (UTC)I'd actually give her a pass there, since so much of the dialogue this summer has been just 'there.' I could reel off any given line of dialogue and you wouldn't be able to tell me if it came from Terminator, Transformers, or Fast & Furious. I know she's trying really hard to be the next Joss Whedon, but since even Joss Whedon isn't being Joss Whedon lately, I can forgive that.
no subject
on 2009-09-20 09:33 pm (UTC)