ZOOLANDER

US, 2001, 95 minutes, Colour.
Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Jerry Stiller, Jon Voigt, Vince Vaughn, Christine Taylor, Milla Jovovich, David Duchovny, Alexander Skaarsgaard.
Directed by Ben Stiller.

Zoolander is the work of Ben Stiller. He contributed to the storyline, to the screenplay, directed the film and starred. At this point of his career, he had appeared in a number of comedies, several with Owen Wilson (Starsky and Hutch). He had also directed a number of films including Reality Bites and The Cable Guy. He was to continue in this vein for many years with such films as The Heartbreak Kid, Pineapple Express and received acclaim for his re-make of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

This film is a strong and entertaining spoof. It takes on the world of fashion, sending up the style of clothes, parodies of advertisements, the serious self-image of the models (and their sometimes being dumb). Stiller captures this perfectly with his impersonation of Derek Zoolander, rather ignorant, from a mining background (with Jon Voigt as his miner father and Vince Vaughn as his brother), achieving a great deal of success, being managed by a shrewd agent, Jerry Stiller (Ben Stiller’s father – and his mother, Anne Meara, appears in the scene where she throws something at the models). Matilda, the journalist, is played by Stiller’s own wife, Christine Taylor.

The film is also strong with Owen Wilson and his performance as the rival model, Hansel, dashing, especially in a collage of his career, but also dumb. Will Ferrell is the villain, the designer who wants to perpetuate cheap production in the sweatshops of Malaysia and plans the assassination of a rival who will close them down.

A huge number of guest stars as themselves pop in and out of the film, with Billy Zane having a more prominent position in setting up the competition between Derek and Hansel and David Bowie appearing as the referee. Alert audiences will see Natalie Portman, Winona Ryder, Stephen Dorf, Christian Slater, Donald Trump…

A sequel has been promised for many years, and if Ron Burgundy can have a sequel, why not Zoolander?

1. The film’s strong reputation? American comedy? The style popularised by Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Jerry Stiller and their careers? The more serious side with Jon Voigt?

2. The American fashion world, the send-up, spoof? The models, the designers, the fashion shows, the advertisements? The adulation of the fans?

3. The range of popular songs and esoteric inclusion: I started a joke…, Before you go-go…?

4. Social concern, the sweatshops of Asia, Asia itself, the reference to Malaysia, the dictators, the US companies and their exploitation?

5. Ben Stiller, his part in the script, directing, starring? Zoolander and his career, his awards, the Blue Steel Look, the working on the Magnum Look for so many years? Not bright? Mixing his words like eulogy, mixing up sayings? Kids who don’t read good…?

6. The catwalk, the advertisements, television coverage, Matilda and her interviews, the newspaper articles and headlines, making and destroying
careers? His work with his agent, Balls, his agent doing the dirty behind his back, in league with Mugatu?

7. Mugatu not employing him, his getting ready for the award session, clothes, make-up, the competition, the character of Hansel, his becoming a success, the collage of his modelling, clothes, interviews? Derek at the table, the announcing of the winner, his expectations, his going up, oblivious of what happened, Hansel’s reaction, his shame, the television mockery and the newspapers?

8. Mugatu, the interview in Malaysia, the plot, assassination, search for the dumb model, working with Balls, choosing Derek, especially after his defeat? The proposition about Derelicte? His being taken, Katinka Ingabogovinonana and her tough stances, dangers, Christine finding she was present at the murder of the other models? The thugs? The plan, the show with all the derelicts and their clothes and fashions? Mugatu in himself, inventing the tie, his reputation?

9. Matilda, her personality, the interviews with Derek, his ignoring her, the story, his being offended? Her working at the office, her researcher and finding out the information about Mugatu? being with Derek, the puzzle, wanting to help, falling in love, working out that the song Relax was the trigger? The phone calls from Pruitt? Meeting him, the visit to the cemetery and the dead models? His being killed?

10. Derek, with Katinka Ingabogovinonana, the brainwashing session, the recording, his repeating the words, practising to be an assassin?

11. Hansel, his winning, sneering at Derek, the clash, the feud and the competition at the catwalk? the discussions, change of attitude, Derek going to Hansel’s apartment, the people there? Hansel and his decision to help, working at the disguise – in blackface? Searching for the files in the computer and smashing it? Rather dumb like Derek? Derek and his friends trying to raise money, the dumb friends, the petrol fight at the station, the explosion – the latest actual of them with the pumps in his institute?

12. Derek, his dismay at his defeat, going home, meeting’s father and brothers, their working in the mine, his wanting to do work in the mine, coming down, the fashion, all the effort for small results and lifting coal, his hammer flying off, thinking he had disease? In the bar, trying to talk to his father, the sneers of his brother? His father disowning him? The irony of his father watching the television, dismayed at his son being a model, his saving the president of Malaysia and his father being proud of him?

13. The fashion show, the president as guest, his sitting and watching, on the catwalk, Matilda and the record, her struggle with Katinka Ingabogovinonana, breaking Derek’s fixation? The throwing of the weapon, Mugatu being desperate, Derek holding it in preventing the killing?

14. Derek’s good intentions, the school for kids who don’t read good, Mugatu and the temptation with the institution, the model and Derek thinking it was the real thing? His concerned about the sweatshops?

15. The end, the establishment of the Institute, Hansel and his being a tutor, Balls and his instructions about money deals, Matilda and the baby son and his hair and Derek look?

16. A popular and entertaining comedy and satire?