ghost world - review at Movies on Dowse.com

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DOWSE movie guide review of Ghost World

Ghost World
Director: Terry Zwigoff
MGM, United Artists
review by Michael Lohr

What a head-trip. This is the film adaptation of Daniel Crowes' ingenious graphic novel, of the same name and to say the least, the movie holds close to the book. Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson star as a pair of awkward teenage girls facing high school graduation and the rigours of life on the outside. From the beginning you understand that neither really know what they want out of life, but they do know what they don't want from it; i.e. inane consumerism and invalid social standards being shoved down their throats at every turn, as well as all the pretentious nonsense that clutters our daily lives. And by the way, this is not a coming of age story.
   Directed by Terry Zwigoff (who directed Crumb, a movie about underground comedian Robert Crumb's strange world vision) has recreated the graphic novel's sense of unfocused urgency brilliantly. This movie, just like the graphic novel, is chalked full of dreadfully fascinating characters and vicariously clichéd situations. Loneliness, incongruousness and nervous disaffection are the operative words here.
   Though Bjork and her quirky genius combining for the soundtrack would have made for an incredible one-two punch, the actual soundtrack does indeed stay in tune with the film's bizarre sensibility. Songs from obscure artists such as Blueshammer, Lionel Belasco, Joe Calicott and Little Hot Jones mixed with calypso and folk blues, does provide one with a not-often traveled musical path to venture down. The soundtrack is available from Shanachie records.
   Overall the movie is an odd trip, like eating a can of sardines in Speaker's Corner while arguing with a rather freakish unwashed gentleman over the moral responsibility of democratic socialism and the destiny of Norway to provide the free world with wool mittens. You get the point.

Michael Lohr

DOWSE Guide to the Movies is compiled by Tony Lee editor of Pigasus Press
You can order videos and DVD releases reviewed on these pages at Blackstar

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