Seen & heard

I've been in a film-watching mood lately.  As well as Martha Marcy May Marlene (brilliant), This Means War (oh-so-trashy but enjoyable) and J. Edgar (yawn-fest) at the cinema, I've really enjoyed catching up on DVDs.

1. Whip It

Drew Barrymore directed and stars in this film about Texas teenager and beauty queen Bliss (the wonderful Ellen Page) who, on a trip to Austin, discovers roller derby and plunges headlong into a new, more alternative, world.  Funny, touching and awesomely feminist.  I loved it.

2. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this film: a comic book/computer game/movie hybrid packed with dark humour and great visual gags.  Michael Cera plays Scott Pilgrim, a slacker bassist in failing Toronto band Sex Bob-omb, who meets and falls for the mysterious Ramona and has to defeat her seven evil exes in order to be with her.  Kieran Culkin is particularly good at Scott's sarcastic gay roommate, and I loved the soundtrack, with the music for Sex Bob-omb being provided by Beck.

3. Easy-A

I liked this film as much the second time around as I did when I saw it at the cinema.  Emma Stone is a winningly dry and sardonic lead, playing high school student Olive, who unwittingly develops a reputation as a "skank" and decides to play it for all it's worth.  The film made some interesting points about how teenage boys are celebrated for promiscuity while teenage girls are punished.  It's a very knowing film, fully aware of it's clever post-modernism, but enjoyable for being more intelligent than most teen flicks.

With apologies and credit to Laura from Make Do and Mend, from whom I have shamelessly stolen the layout for this post as I liked it so much on her blog!