#shit actually

Book #198 of 2021:

Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema by Lindy West

This essay collection is a series of hilarious movie reviews, spanning titles mainly from the 90s or early 2000s, with Top Gun (1986) and Twilight (2008) at the extreme bounds. The actual criticism is pretty surface-level with a structure of recap-plus-commentary, but author Lindy West clearly has a blast walking us through all the plot holes and weird writing decisions and reasons why she ultimately either loves a film like The Fugitive (1993) or hates one like the titular Love Actually (2003). I will note that I’ve seen most but not all of the pieces in question, and based on my lower enjoyment of the entries covering the exceptions, I might recommend skipping it altogether for readers who aren’t too familiar with cinema of the era.

Like many modern critics, West also grapples with how to feel about works that have aged poorly — whether from insensitive jokes, limited roles for women, or later revelations of abusive and predatory filmmakers — and penning all this in the midst of the 2020 coronavirus outbreak, there’s a definite darkness that creeps into her discussion at times. I don’t know that this book will hold up so well itself, reading somewhat like an online listicle and containing certain critiques that wouldn’t have concerned contemporary audiences, but I’ve laughed throughout at the clever wit and observations that I’ve never noticed before.

A few spots miss the mark for me, however. Not everything that’s left unexplained in a script is necessarily a flaw, or merits such ridicule in my opinion. Despite the subtitle on the cover, quality is of course largely subjective, and a few of the writer’s issues seem more to do with her own preferences and background assumptions than anything present on-screen. And not to be that guy, but she spends a fair bit of time complaining that Back to the Future Part II (1989) drops a particular point when it is absolutely addressed in the following sequel.

Overall this is an elder millennial’s amused perspective on the pop culture of yesteryear, and a fun way to revisit an assortment of gems and flops from our shared youth. There’s not quite enough substance here for me to give it a stronger endorsement than that, but it’s a quick read with some fine humor for those of us with fond memories of the source material.

[I read and reviewed this title at a Patreon donor’s request. Want to nominate your own books for me to read and review (or otherwise support my writing)? Sign up for a small monthly donation today at https://patreon.com/lesserjoke !]

★★★☆☆

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