The darling of critics nationwide, "Ghost World" promises to be a revolutionary piece of cinematic art that will renew viewer's faith in the power of film. An actual viewing of the film provokes a different reaction and proves the old maxim: Don't believe the hype.
There was a galaxy of potential for "World" to be remarkable. It has an interesting director and a talented young cast, it's based on a well-regarded underground comic and it's imbued with a refreshingly counter-cultural attitude. Yet it also rings of missed opportunity and a general lack of focus and intent on the part of the actors and filmmakers.
Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansen) are two extremely cynical, alienated teenagers fresh out of high school and ready to enjoy a life of freedom in their own apartment together. A required summer school class (for Enid) and a lame job at a designer coffee shop (for Rebecca) both throw sticks in their wheels. Enid finds love in a very strange place with a cultural outcast named Seymour (Steve Buscemi) and amid the chaotic summer, the girls grow apart rather than together.
Right off the bat, both female leads are completely unlikable. They relentlessly mock everything and everyone around them, regarding the entire world as stupid or elitist. This could be amusing or at least cool, but 90 percent of their insults and jokes just aren't funny or even clever. Furthermore, they're just as elitist in their outlook as the preppies and jocks they despise, making them seem rather hypocritical.
Midway through "World," they shed their hard shells and become more human and identifiable. This saves the film from crashing and burning in its own contempt.
"World" loses its narrative drive somewhere along the way, too, and tries to weave too many disparate plot strands without successfully tying them up. Rebecca is also mistakenly put on the back burner for most of the film, making for some missed dramatic opportunities.
The concept of the film is clever and its outlook on America as an oversized, disintegrated mini-mall is compelling. But its potential for social commentary or any deeper impact is downplayed in favor of romantic antics and nihilistic philosophizing by Enid and Rebecca.
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"World" claims to be counter-culture and anti-establishment yet a great deal of its plot smacks of traditional romantic comedy. The tendency of Enid and Seymour to dance around each other without realizing they're in love is as cliched as it gets.
Nothing is resolved, either. The existential resolution would work in a comic book, but this film is a lot more demanding emotionally, and it leaves far too much up in the air.
The insignificant, walk-on parts ironically provide the best parts of the film and something the rest of it sorely lacks: humor. A creepy guy in a wheelchair at Rebecca's coffee shop, a shirtless redneck with nunchuks at a convenience store, a clueless video store clerk and Seymour's roommate all get the biggest laughs (though some of them are cheap) and none of them have more than two scenes, grand total.
Which is not to downplay the strength of the main performances. As Enid, Birch conveys teenage angst and cynicism in a world gone commercial very well. Buscemi is good as always as her hapless object of obsession.
As Enid's friend, Johansen frequently seems to not know what to do with her part. Brad Renfro's bit part as Rebecca's closest friend also comes across as empty and confused. But in a small but important role, Bob Balaban is simply great as Enid's father.
Director Terry Zwigoff is best known for "Crumb," his riveting, creepy documentary about underground comic artist Robert Crumb. "World" also exhibits a semi-documentary style with extended scenes played out as flatly and realistically as possible. There is a minimum of artistic camerawork, as well.
This could have made "World" a stark, involving experience, but it is ultimately deadening. There is little to no emotional impact resonating from important scenes, and the story is fairly predictable.
There's a very fine line between boring and artistic, and "World" falls more on the boring side.
"Ghost World" is a bitter pill to swallow, and it's likely to alienate even open-minded or embracing viewers. The film succeeds on several fronts, but its flaws keep it from being anything but average.
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