Last weekend we watched ZOOLANDER (2001), a movie reminiscent of the cult favorite THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984), which spoofed rock and roll with a rock group which existed only to be be a rock group. In Zoolander, Ben Stiller and his proud papa, as well as a number of other famous comedians and members of the fashion industry bring to the screen the life of Derek Zoolander, he of the perfect facial structure and amazing walk, not to mention a level of narcissism not seen since, well, since Metamorphoses . He and Owen Wilson bring their spoofs to near perfection even as they try to understand the motivations of a mysterious designer and why Derek doesn’t remember his week at the man’s spa.
It is incredibly trite, and that is part of the charm. You don’t watch this movie to learn how to navigate the ways of celebrity, or fashion, or for that matter how to be a father to the perfect boy. You simply watch it to see how Ben & Co will next ridicule an industry which, quite likely, was ripe for ridicule in any case. They saw the grapes, and sensed they were good; out came the scythe, and the harvesting, all so important, began. It’s worth a gander, especially if you’re inclined towards pairing a fine wine with your movies. This might be worthy of a Reisling: bright and sunny, with many fruity flavors. A darker red might bring too much gravitas to a movie too flighty and ridiculous to credibly sustain it.
