Hot Fuzz
Hey, did you know I started on this review after
originally seeing the film in my local theater? Same night as I saw 'The
Invisible', as a matter of fact! Oh well, I guess I'll be ahead of everyone when
the dvd comes out.
I suppose that's appropriate seeing how, as usual, no one without a closet full
of "Fulci Lives" t-shirts seems to have heard about this film. (Shame
on you! If you don't go see the good stuff, you have nothing to complain about
when they just keep making movies about dragons, and global warming, and Mariah
Carey, or whoever they hell they're shoveling at you this week.)
'Fuzz' uses the same quick flash editing style,
montage, and juxtaposition techniques that appeared in 'Shaun' and 'Spaced'.
It's nice enough as a creative trademark, but I can't help thinking that others
may tire of such one trick direction. Wright does need to branch out just a
little; fortunately he still possesses that uncanny sense of timing and irony
that make his work so unique. He and co-writer/star Simon Peg, also have an
immense talent for wordplay not usually encountered in American productions.
(Most people refer to English humor as "wry". Um no, these guys are
pants-pissingly funny; I don't think they should be lumped together with people
who wear tweed and sip gin.)
Peg again teams up with Nick Frost. (Ed from 'SotD' of course.) The character
roles here are pretty similar, if actually expanded, with Peg playing the
straightest straight man this side of a chartered accountant's convention, and
Frost's role losing a few more IQ points. These fellas work extraordinarily well
together, regardless of what production they are in. I might be tempted to
proclaim them the reincarnation of Abbot and Costello, except of course, these
two are funny. (Also, I'm reasonably sure they don't have an extensive, well
catalogued pornography collection. Reasonably.)
The film itself is visceral and hilarious. It may be somewhat of a put off to mainstream types due to the fact that it is surprisingly bloody. (But since when did this site start taking those people into consideration?) I myself have but one complaint about it, sadly it's the same complaint I had about 'Shaun'. Wright and Peg are remarkably talented when working with comedy; they are equally talented with horror and drama. Unfortunately, when more serious aspects of the script come into focus, the humor tends to disappear all but completely. Whereas, say, a Sam Raimi usually keeps things tongue-in-cheek, the disparate elements of a Wright/Peg script tend to act more like a bottle of unshaken salad dressing. This unfortunately leads to climaxes that could best be described as uneven.
I hate to give anything away, but again my main problem with the film cannot be discussed unless I do so. (I imagine most fans admire Wright/Peg productions for writing rather than plain plot, but still, I f you don't want anything spoiled you can hit the back button now if you'd be so kind.)
Well basically, there is an uber conspiracy murdering innocent citizens for the minutest of infractions against the community. The bloodshed goes much deeper than even Angel could have suspected; so deep in fact, that secret catacombs under hide the bodies of missing citizens, even troublesome kids and their sidewalk befouling doggies. Confronted with such horror, Angel has no choice but to raid the station's armory, mount a stalwart steed, ride into to town at high noon, and arrest everyone involved.
Er, arrest them?
Sorry, but you don't get to kill Lassie, never mind Timmy, and walk away in my book. These are the folks that gave us 'Shaun', they shouldn't shy away from plastering the mortal goo of some fascist sasanach* all across the idyllic English countryside. We do get a hellacious shoot-out to be sure, but one ultimately resolved with minor flesh wounds and a booking montage.
I realize that this would be Angel's revenge, a
lawless regime brought down by the ultimate by the book bobby. However his
disillusionment with authority forces him into something of a ronin position.
This should enable him to buck enough against the power structure to give these
wankers the comeuppance they truly deserve, but sadly, that pesky moral core of
his remains intact.
(Ha! Typing that, I just felt like a peripheral character out of 'The Screwtape
Letters')
Ah well, small matter. This climax does drag a bit, but only because that which proceeded it was so brilliant. 'Fuzz is still one of the most original films of the year, and well worth a viewing.
8.0
June 19th, 2007