In Defense of Megan Fox

A major part of contemporary American culture is deconstructing people in the spotlight, whether they are politicians, musicians, actors or even those who are having their fifteen minutes of fame (i.e. Susan Boyle, Jon & Kate, ad infinitum). The list of reasons that we do this is undoubtedly as long and varied as the people who enjoy this pastime so much; there’s curiosity, animosity, jealousy, boredom and countless other reasons. What rarely ever happens is a regular person defending one of these people.

That’s what I am endeavoring to do with Megan Fox, because being in the spotlight as much as she has recently, the woman’s taken a lot of flack, and I’m not quite sure how much of it is deserved.

To get it right out of the way, I’m not going to lie and say that, as a heterosexual male, Megan Fox didn’t first come to my attention because of her looks. Of course she did. The way the first Transformers film was made, that was exactly the point, and let’s be honest: it worked. Myself and countless other males around the country were hooked from scene one. This fact makes me biased, of that I have no doubt, but this discussion could only be started by someone who is biased.

The first thing I’d like to address is the many people online and in the critical circles who claim that Fox is only “pretending to act,” and who completely disregard any acting abilities she has. Let’s be honest: she’s no Meryl Streep, yet. Yet is the key word of that phrase, because I’ve watched her films several times, and I see a definite potential for some serious acting chops. I think most of the basis for these condemnations come from the fact that she’s only been in big-budget summer films (with the exception of How to Lose Friends and Alienate People but there she was basically typecast as a exaggerated version of the person the press thinks she is) which, let’s face it, are hardly the kind of films that really hone actors’ skills. I think that once she gets offered some meatier roles – ones that aren’t just about spectacle – that people will see a different side to her. I’d love to see her in some kind of quirky comedy or drama, because I think she has the talent to do something real and visceral with these kinds of roles.

Of course, one must consider the fact that Fox enjoys the bigger movies better, and who’s to argue with that? If those are the films that she enjoys making, why should she be railroaded for it? “Big” movies like The Dark Knight and The Lord of the Rings have shown that just because a film has a big budget, that doesn’t mean that it can’t be powerful and moving, despite its massive scope. There’s no reason to discredit somebody’s abilities just because they don’t do an occasional indie film here or there. They just aren’t some people’s style.

All the criticism I hear about Fox’s acting – how shallow it is, and is based solely on her looks – calls to mind Marilyn Monroe. She too was considered less of an actor and more eye candy, something she battled her whole career. Yet looking back, who could have brought more humor to Some Like it Hot or heartbreak to The Misfits? Fox has only been in three movies so far – which is a fact that people seem to forget when they’re attacking her – so I would hardly say she’s had a decent chance to develop her skills as an actor yet. There’s some kind of grace period for an actor to really develop their skills that we just don’t allow anymore. Give her time, and the right roles, and I remain confident she’ll surprise a great many people.

The attacks on her personality in my mind are tied together with her image as a sex symbol, so I’ll examine these two things together. Our country is very confused when it comes to sexuality. We condemn those who are too expressive with their sensuality, while at the same time, making fun of those who are more introverted when it comes to that aspect. The fact that Fox is not only completely comfortable with her sexuality, but appears to embrace it and all the connotations – both positive and negative – that go along with it turns a lot of people off. Somebody that comfortable with themselves becomes intimidating to people who aren’t, but perhaps wish they could be. She gets the labeled as a man-eater, or as a stuck-up person just because she is aware of the fact that she is attractive, and goes along with it. It takes a huge amount of confidence to accept a label the way she has, and I’ve admired her from the start for her ability to do this so naturally. Yet in all the interviews, stories (from people who have spent real time with her, not just a minute) and discussions, she has always come across to me as a very confident, funny and sweet person. She has a very dry, sarcastic sense of humor, and as somebody who is the same way, if people aren’t used to that, it can really alienate or offend them until they get it.

Hollywood and our culture on the whole have a nasty habit of making beautiful women out to either be mean or stupid, something that has been a part of our male-dominated society for ages. That’s why they broadcast during those pre-movie trivia games – like its some kind of shocking news – that Natalie Portman went to Harvard, or that its such a big deal that Emma Watson would rather go to university than act. Megan Fox is just one of countless actresses who gets pegged with this prejudice.

You can throw that whole “boy with the rose,” thing out there – which anyone will admit was an honest mistake (some of these people should try having their picture taken 100 times in two minutes and see how much they are able to notice) – but she handled it very well, apologizing right off and hoping that she could maybe find the boy and apologize personally. That maybe doesn’t fit with how some people view her, since she’s evidentially so conceited, but I see the situation as a glimpse of how she really is, not how people want her to be.

I won’t apologize for being a Megan Fox fan any more than I would apologize for being an Audrey Hepburn fan. I hope eventually people stop talking about what she can’t do, and everyone gives her a chance to show us what she can.

"You Won't Have This Much Fun Again Until You Discover Oral Pleasure!"

For anyone tired of all the big-budget blockbusters of the summer, Away We Go will be a breath of cool air. Who knew that Maya Rudolph (from SNL) and John Krasinksi (from The Office) could take this little idea of a movie and turn it into a comic gem in the style of The Graduate and Garden State?

This is the pop-indie movie people have been waiting for all summer (this and (500) Days of Summer) and boy, does it deliver on all fronts. You’ll leave the theatre smiling, just to turn around and watch it again.

The plot of Away We Go is pretty simple. Verona (Rudolph) and Burt (Krasinksi) - an un-married couple, by Verona's choice - decide they need to find a new place to raise their coming baby, and go on a kind of cross country journey in search for the perfect place.

They make stops in cities where they have family or friends, starting in Phoenix, then on to Madison, Montreal and Miami. The characters that populate each place are in turns hilarious, odd, and heart-breaking, but always well-developed, and appropriately human.

All these secondary characters are brought to life by first-rate acting, but the two winners have to be Maggie Gyllenhaal as LN- a Madison professor who has taken family life to a frightening level – and The West Wing’s Allison Janney, (who makes every picture she’s in better) Verona’s old colleague Lily, who is as vulgar and crass as she is hysterical.

Let’s be honest though; this is Rudolph and Krasinski’s picture. They make you believe in their quirky love the way Charlie Chaplin and Virginia Cherrill did in City Lights, the way Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck did in Roman Holiday and the way Zach Braff and Natalie Portman did in Garden State.

Rudolph is all kinds of sweet, sarcastic and sexy, totally underplaying a character that could have easily been destroyed by too much talk, too many tears…just too much. Watching her face as she battles her emotions shows the viewer exactly what she is experiencing.

I can only use superlatives for Krasinksi’s performance. He is flat-out fantastic in a role that calls for odd-ball humor, tender emotion and everything in between. This is the nail in the coffin for the handful of women out there who haven’t already fallen for Krasinski on The Office. The way he blends his trademark wit and humor with feeling and melancholy (and always managing to make it either hysterical or touching, as the situation calls for) is a wonder. Oscar take note – this is the kind of performance those little gold statues were made for.

Of course, three cheers go to real-life married couple Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida for their wonderfully written screenplay and Sam Mendes for his compassionate direction. Eggers and Vida deserve an Oscar nod for Original Screenplay, as well.

And props for tapping folk singer/songwriter Alexi Murdoch for the film’s main musical voice. He got left behind after The O.C. crowd forgot about him, but this should bring him to the wider audience he deserves.

Before they decide to go on their trip, Verona asks Burt if he thinks they’re fuck-ups. He replies in the negative, but she remains unconvinced. As the magic of Away We Go proves, the answer is an unequivocal “hell no.”

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

Everything about Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen is the very definition of “sequel” in the strictest sense of the word. There’s nothing particularly inventive in this sequel: it’s basically the same plot, the same characters, the same themes – only bigger, louder and longer.

Now, the most important question is, does that matter? If you’re someone who is looking just for entertainment for entertaiment’s sake, or if you’re an intelligent viewer who has the capability to turn their brain off for several hours and just immerse yourself in some eye-popping visuals, than this is summer blockbuster manna.

Like previously stated, the gang from 2007’s hit are all back. This time Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf) is about to start college, two years after the Autobots (the good robots) first landed on earth. He’s excited about starting a new stage in his life, one that’s normal and alien-robot free. Mikaela (Megan Fox) is majorly in love with Sam – as he is with her - though the main conflict between the two of them throughout the film is that neither of them can actually bring themselves to say the “l word.”

As he’s packing up to go, a sliver of the All-Spark from the first film, catches Sam’s eye, and makes a major imprint on his brain, causing him to see the Cybertron’s language everywhere. It turns out the symbols he sees are a map that both the Decepticons and Autobots need to find a source of energy that will take the earth’s sun for it’s energy.

So, the race is on to find where this source is before a resurrected Megatron and a whole list of new baddies can locate it.

Like I said, same plot, just bigger. Way bigger; the movie clocks in at right around two-and-a-half hours, when it could have easily been far shorter.

The acting is nothing spectacular. LeBeouf is hilarious in those awkward moments he always seems to find himself in, and there’s momentary glimmers of some real leadership power, but it gets buried under an avalanche of clichés. Fox is as gorgeous as ever, but she gets stuck playing the role of girlfriend/piece of luggage. Despite these facts, the two have genuine chemistry and I’d be lying if I didn’t say I thoroughly enjoyed their scenes together. There’s a genuine wit and sexiness present there and I blame their performances on the lack of material and characters written in such a one-dimensional way, that there’s not much they can do with it.

Of course, the real reason most will be going to this is for the action sequences, and those don’t disappoint. Just like in the previous film, the sound and visuals of the Transformers as they do their thing will pop your eyes. If only the scenes didn’t get bogged down so much with lame new “comedic” characters, they’d flow a lot better.

For all of this, I found myself enjoying Transformers 2. I guess I have the ability to turn my brain off and just float along with the movie. If that’s your idea of a good flick, or if you want to seem some major visuals, this is the movie for you.