Friday 23 February 2007

What’s the fuzz?



Been to see HOT FUZZ and it is really good I won’t go into details about it there‘s plenty elsewhere. Except to say that a lot has been made of it being satire of American buddy cop thrillers and it is although it’s more of celebration rather than satire. But without disappearing into a post-modern hole American buddy cop thrillers are already satires, admittedly not always out and out comedies but satires none the less.
Die hard is a satire of capitalism brought low, a blue collar cop getting revenge on corporate America, it also satires not very subtly male “phallocentricity” by blowing up a sky scraper
Bad boys et al satire the gangster homo-eroticism of rap videos, Miami vice etc. of course even though they are overblown they may be again too subtle for some of their audience.
Look at True Lies although it is meant as jokey spy film it is also a straight thriller that also satires American foreign policy, in that it has eye rolling mad mullah terrorists fighting technology obsessed overkill yank spooks. It wallows and exposes American political excess few other films have a nuclear explosion as plot point not the finale!
Crime stories and thrillers have always be satirical because they deal with the balance of power, when Chandler sends Marlow to visit the rich villain in his house, Mr Big is always old , bitter and impotent, Elmore Leonard books are full of satire, even shows like CSI even when they are being moralistic hold the powerful to criticism and ridicule. Anyway I suppose I should end with a smart one liner.
It looks like Hot Fuzz has had the last laugh!

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