assignment 17 - as if! - cole

I'll be honest; I'm no film critic. I don't watch many movies; those that I do I often find tedious; and even those that I enjoy I can almost never derive any "deeper meaning" from. But Clueless is one of the few exceptions to this otherwise-steadfast set of rules for me. When watching this film I feel as though I have been transported to 1990s Beverly Hills, seeing the world through the eyes of a character in Cher with whom I share virtually nothing in common, and enjoying every moment of it. And I think that my enjoyment of this movie is twofold. First, it is remarkably unpretentious. The plot, dialogue, and characters are unapologetically themselves, with no unnecessary dynamics forced in uncomfortably to make it seem more cerebral, and the result is surprisingly more convincing than the schmaltzy, academic Oscar-bait that I've never been able to get into. Second, though this is undoubtedly a result of the aforementioned, the film is incredibly cohesive. Each moment seems sincerely to be taking place in the '90s SoCal setting. To use a musical analogy (one which I am, being the film novice I am, much better-equipped to make), this film is like Vampire Weekend's Father of the Bride, or, to maintain the '90s theme, Mazzy Star's So Tonight That I Might See. Neither album will ever be lauded for its incredible consistency or academic rigor, but both transport you to a place that, flaws and all, seems to, at minimum, be sincere. And I have a great respect for that.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/clueless

(It said they need to do quality assurance before the review gets confirmed, but I promise it'll be up there soon)