Pretty Persuasion Review
This dark comedy sounds, on paper, like yet another Heathers homage. But unlike Clueless, Mean_Girls and their feel-good ilk, Pretty Persuasion focuses on deadpan social commentary rather than pop self-consciousness. More clever than laugh-out-loud funny, the film has plenty to say about political correctness, sexual impropriety, and the inanities of local TV news. It's not exactly subtle -- especially during its forced, heavy-handed climax -- but it does establish a broad satirical agenda without devolving into an insulting farce. The self-absorption of well-heeled Hollywood teens has been mined to death for both comedy and pathos, but director Marcos_Siega and first-time screenwriter Skander_Halim are smart enough to relegate this particular theme to throwaway dialogue as wicked as it is believable. Star Evan_Rachel_Wood plays an altogether different sort of bad girl from the one she portrayed in Thirteen; comparisons to Nicole_Kidman's character in To_Die_For are inevitable. But it's the rich supporting cast, including James_Woods and Jane_Krakowski, who provide the bulk of the uneasy chuckles. As the Muslim student who gets swept up in the schemes of two bratty blondes, newcomer Adi_Schnall makes the most of an under-written role. Like Pretty Persuasion itself, her part is schematic and cold, yet no less truthful or enjoyable for it. Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
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