film review: jennifer’s body
Needy (Amanda Seyfried) is the dorky long-term best friend of popular Jennifer (Megan Fox). After a mysterious encounter with a visiting rock band Jennifer starts to behave strangely. When boys from their school are found brutally murdered, Needy begins to fear that her gorgeous friend might be responsible. Needy desperately races to discover the truth behind Jennifer’s transformation and to bring an end to the bloody rampage. Written by Diablo Cody (Juno) and directed by Karyn Kusama, Jennifer’s Body enjoyed only limited commercial success, but it is an interesting and enjoyable film, notable for its exploration of the complexities of female friendship.
The marketing of the film seems to have had a significant impact on its commercial failure. Jennifer’s Body is directed at a female audience but the marketing was based predominantly around Fox’s sex appeal. For example, the DVD cover features Fox sporting a short tartan schoolgirl skirt, despite the fact she never wears one in the film. There was also negative press around the kissing scene between Fox and Seyfried. Many felt that it was a blatant marketing ploy but in my opinion, the scene makes sense within the context of the film. It juxtaposes Needy’s almost obsessive love for her best friend and Jennifer’s obsessive need to retain dominance in their relationship.
An individual’s capacity to enjoy Jennifer’s Body probably depends on their response to lines, such as: ‘You’re lime green jello and you can’t even admit it to yourself.’ Cody’s writing tends to provoke a love/hate reaction but for those who aren’t put off by her quirky style, Jennifer’s Body has a lot to offer.
A particular highlight of the film is Adam Brody’s (The O.C) performance as a pretentious indie rocker. His swagger and look bears a suspicious similarity to The Killers singer Brandon Flowers and he delivers some of the film’s best lines. Many commentators have suggested Jennifer’s Body failed because Fox is unpopular with female audiences. However, I found her performance to be underrated. She delivers Cody’s dialogue with great timing and manages to inject Jennifer with an unexpected depth. In one particular scene Fox sits in front of her bedroom mirror and smears foundation over her face. The image of Fox staring at herself with despairing eyes is uncomfortably relatable and moving.
Unfortunately, the failure of Jennifer’s Body at the box office could act as a deterrent for future films that dare to focus on both the bloodthirsty and sweet elements of female friendship. This would be a sad development considering how rare it is for mainstream Hollywood films to feature multi-faceted female protagonists.
