Friday 19 February 2021

Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010)



22-year old Scott Pilgrim is a part-time bassist and full time video game slacker, and to the dismay of his friends and sister, he's dating a 17-year old high school student named Knives.  This has nothing to do with the young lady herself (frankly, Knives deserves better than Scott), and everything to do with it being the latest manifestation of Scott's continued inability to get over his ex: dating a high schooler keeps the relationship 'safe'.

When Scott first dreams about and then meets a young woman named Ramona Flowers, however, 'safe' is not going to be what things are.  First, because Scott falls instantly in love/lust and begins his pursuit of this newcomer without the decency of ending his existing relationship with Knives, and second, because Ramona has a League of Seven Evil Exes, and Scott will need to face and defeat them all in order to date her.

Will Scott triumph over the Evil Exes and win the heart of Ramona?  And does he actually deserve to do so?  Unlike many relationship-oriented narratives, which assume the answer to the latter is always 'yes', this film will actually address both these questions.  Don't expect a traditional story along the way, though.  Scott Pilgrim vs the World is a very, very quirky and off-kilter piece of cinema, full of pop culture references and video-game structures.  It's probably not surprising that it failed to find an audience in its original cinema release.

On the other hand, it also has a fantastic cast and for me, its willingness (unlike so much other media) to grapple with the shortcomings of its main character gives it a heart that not many films can match.

If you're a nerdy type, check it out.

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