GIRLS

Girls is a Sex and the City style single-white-women sex com about four privileged girls romping around New York City. We watch in horror as they magnify both their trite and significant issues with the laser-focus of a kid trying to fry ants with the sun. These women are all insufferable. They are terrible people. While viewing the show I definitely said the word ‘UGH’ out loud more than I’ve ever written it and that is truly saying a lot. The show is the brainchild of writer-director-actress Lena Dunham, and everyone has an opinion about her. As I’ve witnessed it, people loved her and now they hate her. From where I’m sitting, the show was wildly popular when it first aired five years ago. As the characters became more unbearable and Dunham’s eyebrow raising memoir was published, the acclaims became less and less… ‘critical.’ It seems as though people found the show funny and endearing and entertaining, and now the characters are too cringey to be adored. Why can’t anyone see their horribleness as being the point of the entertainment? (And on that subject, why does everyone hate Ramsey more than Joffrey because for some reason I really enjoyed watching Ramsey’s harrowing cruelty - wasn’t that the point? And why does everyone complain every time someone dies because that is the ride Georgie Martin is TAKING. US. ON. and it’s a lot more pleasant if you decide to see it as entertainment rather than something to be irritated by? Oh right, I just remembered. Outrage is the new Black. Nevermind.) 

When Girls first aired it was too widely received for me to be interested. (I’m a loner, Dottie. A rebel…and a contrarian, it’s what I do.) It just looked so AWFUL. Desperate women who think they’re a lot brighter than they are while eternally whining about their first world problems. Weeeelllllllll as the viewers turned on Dunham, (I recently saw someone somewhat accurately describe her as a wet piece of ham,) I decided to bite. The dissent was attractive to me. The sixth and final season began a few weeks ago, so I binged the entire show a few months before. (I love how it’s somehow ok for me to say “I binged (something)” and it will be accepted. See also: my blog title.) After watching fans grow less excited about Girls, I learned to view the characters with a certain lens. One that prepared me for the gross display of juvenile ineptitude. Having accepted that perception, I really enjoy the show!! No, really! This could be a scathing review but in my opinion, the unbearable spectacle of these tone deaf infants is THE amusement of the show. If it isn’t viewed through this position, what’s the point in watching? Is this making sense? Cuz it was somewhat complicated for me to articulate. DOES ANYONE FEEEEEEL ME?

One of the flaws I’ve spotted is writers bending personas in favor of the story. After discussing this with a blog consultant, friend, and fan of the show, - Mallory; I’m wondering if I feel this way because of the way I consumed the show - through bingeing. A character changing their personality would definitely be a lot more palatable and understandable over an extended period of time. Like I’ve said before - this could be why HBO still releases a show once a week - the show makes more sense in tiny potent doses of our ‘fix’, like those unrealistic commercials of women savoring a single piece of chocolate at a time like it’s the last time they’ll ever see chocolate. HAHA RIGHT. HBO is trying to teach us delay of gratification, something we’ve seemed to have forgotten about or never learned to begin with….(see also: me devouring an entire bag of chocolate.) Girls is genuinely funny. Funny enough to keep my snobby husband ‘hate-watching’ it. (His words.) The humor carries the weight of the melodrama and oblivious despair. The comedy is definitely a big part of the shows appeal. As with Sex and the City, there are many set-ups and falls. Maybe there’s a satisfaction in watching these girls get slapped in the face by the reality of life. No, there’s definitely a satisfaction in that. 

My husband claims Adam Driver is the only reason why he watches the show. I must admit, my introduction to Driver was the latest Star Wars and he is quickly becoming my new favorite actor. (See also: Lakeith Stanfield - CALL ME BOO.) Driver’s get-me-out-of-my-own-skin awkwardness is just what the show needs. The juxtaposition between his insecurity and the girls’ misplaced security is smart. His physicality is unrivaled. He steals every scene he’s in. His ability to control his emotional, verbal, and physical discomfort is captivating. What’s more, is that Driver gets to play an actor on the show. And a GREAT one at that. This is like an actor’s dream. He gets to play someone playing actor, getting to wear various masks and OWNING. IT. Driver is nuanced and interesting and leaves you wanting more. (Note to self - must see Paterson.)

Lena Dunham has stated the series will end as you expect it to, which to me, means giant face-slaps all around. And I’m happy for that. She says fans of the show will love the ending and I’m interpreting that as each girl falling flat on her ass, seemingly never having learned a thing in the show’s exhaustive six seasons. Who wants a neatly wrapped bow when you can have torment and tragedy?? Besides, that’s what truly makes a person overcome their immaturity, is it not?

Get Out

Run, don’t walk: you must immediately go see Get Out. I know a film was successful to my taste when I’m slightly overwhelmed with how to carefully unpack it. In fact, I feel so strongly about this film, that I actually wrote an outline first, did several drafts, and slept on it. This is a first for me. I usually just ramble until something semi coherent comes out. But no, this film deserves a more astute observation than that. Whether or not you can tell a difference…..I don’t know. but I don’t think that’s the point. IS IT? YOU TELL ME. I DON’T KNOW ANYMORE. WHAT AM I EVEN TALKING ABOUT NOW?? AHHHHHHJUSTGOSEETHISFILMYOUGUYZ.

As Jordan Peele (of comedic Key and Peele fame) was the writer/director of Get Out, it’s near impossible for me to talk about the writing and the directing without acknowledging they go hand in hand……I once took a screenwriting class and the teacher would tell me to stop writing the direction into the script. It was SO HARD for me to learn to do that. As an aspiring auteur, I could not write something without having the complete vision already in my head. It was a compulsive need to let the world know how this story must be told; shots, movement, acting, and all. (Think Beyonce: Lemonade. YAS.) Turns out writers don’t do that. Unless, of course, they are also the director. This was a long winded way of me saying THEREFORE, in the case of this flick I will address the story and direction hand in hand, as they felt so symbiotic and dependent of each other. Get Out felt like a sleeper writer/director finally getting his moment and taking the absolute most advantage of it. This film…..feels like it was mentally directed from shot to shot before it was even pitched. One can easily see how thoughtfully crafted this piece of art was made. 

Now, I’m going to give a spoiler warning here as it’s near impossible to talk about the movie without maybe breaching spoiler protocols. SO. If you are trying to avoid spoilers,….now might be the time to go. All others, proceed. With caution. I guess. I dunno, I don’t know you. DO WATCHU WAN. I’m basing my warning off of how much I personally felt was revealed in the trailer, so I imagine you have an idea of what the film is about. ANYWAY. 

Get Out is a modern thriller/horror flick grappling with the subject of white on black racism. With a distinct enslavement theme running throughout, we watch as Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) visits his white girlfriend’s (Alison Williams) parents house and gradually gets trapped there, eventually being sold as a modern slave to the winning bidder. More on the major theme later, let’s leave the heavy stuff for last. Even though this is fairly obvious from the trailer, the film still manages to leave you on the trite edge-of-your-seat. (All y’all with fit bits - I swear your heart rate will surge throughout the show. Really, just watch your body-watch, I bet it will show you. No, I don’t have one, I don’t know how the technology works, I’m just an overtired stay at home mom but I imagine $200 for a fart counting watch would tell you that kind of wizardry, right? Right.)  With expert level tension-building camera work, startlingly visceral imagery, obvious and not-so obvious motifs, pleasant pacing, and restrained yet exciting bursts of action, I was utterly enthralled the whole way through. And I hate scary movies. Peele uses classic horror elements like jumpy moments and the sharp violins that punctuate them. The music was ever-present but never too much. Get Out knows what it wants to be. The film is quite lean in it’s 4 million dollar budget.The dialogue and action were sharp, humorous, fat-free. It felt very…..confident in its essence. And it worked. Get Out felt very….poised. Like I said, it was clearly conceived and crafted carefully and gradually over time. Very well thought out. Miyazaki-style. 

In regards to the acting - Williams does her thing as newcomer Kaluuya (Black Mirror fans may recognize him) declares the film his own, gaining certifiable New One To Watch status. A minor side character portrayed by my future husband Keith Stansfield is like the role dreams are made of - but I don’t want to give too much away. Stansfield’s character has the honor of controlling the film’s climax, and it is one of the most impactful, memorable moments.  Kaluuya’s character has a TSA working comedic bestie (Lil Rel Howery) who does a great job of being funny without being cheesy, certainly the result of a perfected trifecta of writing, directing, and acting, never taking the story to obvious or expected extremes. 

Now here’s the hard part. The story. The film is very self-aware - when it comes time to auction Chris off, the auction is silent, surely a nod to the present day reality of secretly taped scandal getting leaked to the world. In fact, Chris picks up on what’s happening to him as we witness it (which I could attempt to relate to the overall theme further but that is SO beyond me.) This was a wise move since audiences are finding it harder and harder to suspend disbelief, especially in a genre as predictable as horror. The actual subject matter is what is so horrifying. It truly is a modern thriller. I will make it clear, tackling the subject of racism with the respect and nuanced perspective needed is way above my pay grade. (See also: me acknowledging my privilege.) But I will say this; the white characters in the film are not racists, no. They would not have anyone think that. “Ya know, I would have voted Obama for a third term” the father touts. The white characters in Get Out are what I’m going to call neo-racists. They don’t hate black people, no, no. They admire them. They feel their muscles, envy their athleticism, claim black people are “in fashion,” they fetishize them. They objectify them, while still feeling intellectually superior…. This could be called a postmodern version of racism. (People of color - tell me - is this just modern??) Get Out exhibits cultural appropriation to its max - with literal appropriation of ones body….and that’s all I’m going to say about that…

Overall, Get Out is an expertly simmered symphony of perspective, writing, directing, and delightfully stylized cinema with a plot for every modern person to absorb in horror. Peele is making an expressive and assertive debut of his talent in the film world. Production companies will be throwing themselves at him as we ALL wait with baited breath.