Every year as awards season draws near, I become interested in the movies that host the lucky nominees. For example, Black Swan jumped on my radar when I saw that it was “the performance of Natalie Portman’s career” and that she had received a Golden Globe nomination. Sure, there’s the one scene that caused plenty of men to go see a ballet movie with their significant others, but that wasn’t the reason I initially became intrigued. When actors and actresses (or the movie itself) are nominated for a Golden Globe or Oscar, television advertisements plaster the achievement across the screen, and I am sold. I want to see what everyone is raving about – and part of me wants to get critical and try to predict the outcome of the awards shows.
Therefore, I convinced Matt to see Easy A with Emma Stone, because her role garnered a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. The trailers made me a bit sceptical that I was getting us into a silly movie with an overdone storyline. Sure, it falls out of focus a bit in later parts of the movie, but that’s about all I can say on the negative side. Emma Stone is fantastic in this movie! Her comedic timing and whit seem so natural, I can’t help but wonder how much improv she actually does on set. I loved her in Zombieland, but she was especially charming and entertaining in Easy A. I laughed the entire way through, and for a teen comedy, the storyline was clever.
I can’t forget the supporting cast, because they added entertainment value, as well. Amanda Bynes plays her role of “overzealous Christian” perfectly, Stanley Tucci is pretty hilarious, and the rest of the cast help round out a true comedy. Matt, who hadn’t heard of the movie yet, was cracking up right alongside me. And there is a major plus – the movie teaches a lesson about self-respect and how harsh high school environments really are. A bit inspired by The Scarlet Letter, the movie takes an old theme and breathes life into it. And I can’t leave out the 80′s teen movie references…awesome!
Easy A was definitely a surprising winner in my book of great and hilarious movies, and I will probably try to see every movie Emma Stone stars in from here on out. I can add it to other good movies this year, like The Social Network, Black Swan, and Inception. I still need to see The Fighter, 127 Hours, and The King’s Speech, however time has run out before the Golden Globes. I do have one final Golden Globes question, though: does The Tourist really fall into the category of “Comedy or Musical?” Hmmm…
