There’s nothing more irritating than film criticism devolving into clichés, for example “imagine if ‘so and so’ fucked ‘so and so’ and gave birth to ‘insert film title here’”. So it’s with deep understanding and a smidgen of shame to admit that the only way of explaining the birth of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is to ask you to imagine if John Hughes had fucked an Atari.
If you’ve yet to read Bryan Lee O’Malley’s books (and what are you waiting for?), Scott Pilgrim is 22 and at a crossroads in his life. He’s dating a high school girl and his band, the winningly named ‘Sex Bob-Omb’ exist somewhere between awful and awesome. His is a life yet-to-be-analysed and it’s while drifting through his own head that he meets Ramona Flowers, literally the girl of his dreams. Unfortunately Ramona comes with baggage, seven evil exes to be precise and Scott will have to defeat all of them to win her heart.
For those unwilling to peel back the layers beneath the shiny surface, Scott Pilgrim suits just fine as Friday night entertainment, therefore making it all the more special for those who do. Edgar Wright’s greatest trick is to simply make a romantic comedy like every romantic comedy you’ve seen before, and effortlessly takes the subtext and makes it literal, Â contextualising it through the prism of a videogame to create a style unto itself. Internalise the conflicts and Scott Pilgrim is Pretty Woman, and as such becomes a film for everyone of its generation and the film which will define its stars for the rest of their careers.
The strength each character, no matter how small, is the single greatest achievement in the adaptating these incredible niche books. Each one is memorable and every role perfectly cast, and while there are inevitably standouts (Kieran Culkin, Brandon Routh, Ellen Wong), it’s entirely possible that each and every member of the audience will relate to a different character and find their own moments of profundity. And while not to suggest there’s nothing for female audiences, there’s every chance guys will have endless pub debates over which Pilgrim girl is the one of ‘their’ dreams. However, the film rests squarely on the shoulders of Michael Cera, who finally shaking the shackles of George Michael Bluth free and clear. Following on from his hideously underrated turn in Youth in Revolt earlier this year, Cera IS Scott Pilgrim; his deadpan delivery and sweet apathy complimenting a surprising athletic ability to shape a character it would be oh so easy to hate yet so painfully recognisable.
Scott Pilgrim’s not perfect, nothing truly is but the flaws will differ for many. Most noticeable is the short shrift given to Scott’s own exes, Kim Pine and Envy Adams both of whom were afforded much more sympathy in O’Malley’s books, while even Ramona herself lacks crucial definition with Winstead trying her hardest to wring as much as possible from an increasingly reactionary role. But most of this will be lost on those unfamiliar with the source material who may find they require an immediate second viewing just to feel up to speed.
Ultimately, Scott Pilgrim has a lot of heart. You don’t have to have played a videogame to enjoy the film, you just have to have lived and loved. Pull back the impeccable soundtrack choices, the genre defining editing and the biting and quotable dialogue and you’ll find that Wright has crafted quite possibly the most honest film about relationships of this generation, and many people will take the film to their chest and squeeze it tight. It’s narrative is timeless and will continue to be redefined, but it doesn’t need to be any time soon. John Hughes would be proud.
