"★ ★ ★ ★ ★"
A more surprising Friday night flick that does so much more than what was expected of its proudly absurd premise. The film is one of those wickedly fun cinematic experiences, that even though the studio's marketing campaign fell through, I'm surprised this pretty much failed at the box office. The idea of a sexpot/symbol being transformed into a man-eating, scary demon sounds ridiculous and silly, for sure, but it totally and shockingly works on many levels; more than I or any one else ever thought. The film is designed as a horror/comedy, but it's no question that Jennifer's Body functions at a much higher and effective level as a black comedy that has the "horror" action filling the rest of the narrative spots. Not that those scenes are ineffective, but the whole movie really comes alive around those gory patches.
Diablo Cody's screenplay is a genuine winner; her cleverly plotted situations and dialogue snap, crackle, and pop with infectious verve and original, fresh wit. She mixes her own unique "pop" style into would-be cliched plot scenarios and banal conversations (which is a tired running trend throughout teen horror/comedies these days) and hooks us onto every word. Cody's widely praised, Oscar-winning script for Juno actually pales in comparison to what she's done here -- it's still the same Cody, but the words don't come off as pushy or pretentious but instead as natural and modestly relevant. Juno sounds like a smart-ass script, Jennifer's Body recalls more of a self-aware feel that never gets wrapped up in its own quirky ambitions. But also what Cody's writing here does is that it delves deeper to a core and grounds the film in a startling and powerful emotional reality.
While maintaining its light edge, the film explores the depth of humane relationships; not simply just for teenage girls or feminists, but in a universal kind of way that any person can feel and comprehend to. Cody (and the director) don't squarely target the depths of these bonds solely between women, but the two main characters just happen to be women. One moment in particular stands out to me; when "Low Shoulder" begins their song at Melody Lane, and Jennifer grasps Needy's hand and gives her a look that she genuinely appreciates having Needy in her life at this moment. Needy flashes her best friend a warm smile until Jennifer lets go...of not just her hand but the bond both want to hold strong. It's a quietly beautiful, touching moment given its poignancy by the films two superb main performances: Megan Fox as the demonized Jennifer Check and Amanda Seyfried as her loyal BFF Needy Lesnicki.
Fox displays a real sense of commitment, understanding, and sharp comic timing in her strange role. She's sexy, seductive, bitchy, and oddly but consistently, very funny. However she's almost completely under the shadow of the brilliant Amanda Seyfried -- her Needy undergoes the greatest dramatic character arc in the film and Seyfried nails each beat so well. Her deep, cavernous eyes convey the confusion, terror, desperation of a young women who's experiencing something so rare and frightening that she can't control. Seyfried is utterly essential to the emotional effectiveness of the film, and she pulls off such a tragic and deep character that it goes beyond the film that she was completely robbed of an Oscar nomination for this stunning performance.
My only "issue", truth be told, with the film is that director Karyn Kusama is never quite that apt at melding the horror tone with her poppin' comic piece; there's a strong presence of creepy dread in the air, but we don't see much of it on screen. The only scary moment for me was the jump scare of a possessed Jennifer popping up in Needy's kitchen, and then of course her line reading of, "are you scared?". There's blood and guts aplenty which pleases the cheap, gory fun we like to see occasionally, but the blend/transition from the scary stuff to the witty comedic facet isn't all that nuanced or complete.
But that aside, Jennifer's Body is very much accomplished with a distinct, vivid individuality which is a refreshing reminder that movies are still capable of spark in such wierd genres. It's no surprise that the film is another entry in my grand collection of favorite films. I recently saw it for the sixth time and it's just as "salty" as the first time, months ago. Jennifer's Body is cool, fun, hilarious, compelling, sexy, and emotionally resonant.
What more do you want in a film?
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