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ZOOLANDER
Ben Stiller had one of his biggest hits as the director, co-screenwriter, and star of a lavish, 2001 comic adventure that offers pretty consistent laughs called Zoolander, that works despite a modicum of self-indulgence on Stiller's part.
Derek Zoolander (Stiller) is the top male model in the world who after winning male model of the year three years in a row, loses the title to modeling's newest flavor of the month, Hansel (Owen Wilson) which has Derek re-thinking his purpose in life. Meanwhile, an insane fashion designer named Mugatu (Will Ferrell) tempts Derek back on the runway with a new fashion line which is just a cover to brainwash Derek into assassinating the prime minister of Malaysia.
Stiller, Drake Strather, and John Hamburg's screenplay is overly complex, but what it does nail is the world's view of male modeling and how the men who inhabit said world don't have a brain in their head. And what the screenplay for this film addresses so beautifully is the fact that whether or not these guys are idiots, they will never know because no one ever tells them. You can't help but laugh at the stupid things Derek says and does and how no one ever seems to correct him. Derek's world is so self-involved that he spends all his time working on different "looks" for the camera, giving each look its own name, totally unaware that all the looks are the same. The idea that a male model is the perfect pawn for political assassination is a bit much, but by the time we realize what's going on, we roll with it because we like Derek, silly and self-absorbed as he might be.
Considering all the hats he was wearing here, Stiller manages a funny and engaging performance in the title role, that I think he worked from the perfect vocal inflection he chose for the character...just this side of gay but just enough masculinity to accept as just arrogant and empty-headed. Owen Wilson is a perfect comic foil as Hansel and the "walk-off" between the two models, which features some really sharp editing, is definitely one of the film's highlights, as is Ferrell's scene-stealing comic villain. Stiller's wife, Christine Taylor is an acceptable leading lady, not surprisingly working quite well with her husband. The film also features dozens of cameo appearances including Sandra Bernhard, Cuba Gooding Jr., Billy Zane, Vince Vaughn, David Bowie, Fabio, Garry Shandling, James Marsden, Natalie Portman, Wynona Ryder, and Stiller's parents, Jerry Stiller and the late Anne Meara. The story is a little overblown, but the movie works for the most part and provides solid laughs most of the way. A sequel was released earlier this year.
Ben Stiller had one of his biggest hits as the director, co-screenwriter, and star of a lavish, 2001 comic adventure that offers pretty consistent laughs called Zoolander, that works despite a modicum of self-indulgence on Stiller's part.
Derek Zoolander (Stiller) is the top male model in the world who after winning male model of the year three years in a row, loses the title to modeling's newest flavor of the month, Hansel (Owen Wilson) which has Derek re-thinking his purpose in life. Meanwhile, an insane fashion designer named Mugatu (Will Ferrell) tempts Derek back on the runway with a new fashion line which is just a cover to brainwash Derek into assassinating the prime minister of Malaysia.
Stiller, Drake Strather, and John Hamburg's screenplay is overly complex, but what it does nail is the world's view of male modeling and how the men who inhabit said world don't have a brain in their head. And what the screenplay for this film addresses so beautifully is the fact that whether or not these guys are idiots, they will never know because no one ever tells them. You can't help but laugh at the stupid things Derek says and does and how no one ever seems to correct him. Derek's world is so self-involved that he spends all his time working on different "looks" for the camera, giving each look its own name, totally unaware that all the looks are the same. The idea that a male model is the perfect pawn for political assassination is a bit much, but by the time we realize what's going on, we roll with it because we like Derek, silly and self-absorbed as he might be.
Considering all the hats he was wearing here, Stiller manages a funny and engaging performance in the title role, that I think he worked from the perfect vocal inflection he chose for the character...just this side of gay but just enough masculinity to accept as just arrogant and empty-headed. Owen Wilson is a perfect comic foil as Hansel and the "walk-off" between the two models, which features some really sharp editing, is definitely one of the film's highlights, as is Ferrell's scene-stealing comic villain. Stiller's wife, Christine Taylor is an acceptable leading lady, not surprisingly working quite well with her husband. The film also features dozens of cameo appearances including Sandra Bernhard, Cuba Gooding Jr., Billy Zane, Vince Vaughn, David Bowie, Fabio, Garry Shandling, James Marsden, Natalie Portman, Wynona Ryder, and Stiller's parents, Jerry Stiller and the late Anne Meara. The story is a little overblown, but the movie works for the most part and provides solid laughs most of the way. A sequel was released earlier this year.