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Charlotte Amalie
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HomeNewsArchivesSTILLER'S A MODEL OF ABSURDITY IN 'ZOOLANDER'

STILLER'S A MODEL OF ABSURDITY IN 'ZOOLANDER'

Oct. 4, 2001 – "Zoolander" is not the next "Jurassic Park" sequel, although it's assuredly escapist fare. It's the tale of Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller), an appealing airhead of a blond male supermodel.
If you like Stiller, you will be in clover. He wrote, directed and produced the movie, in addition to casting himself in the title role. What more could you ask? Quite a bit, according to many in the corps of the nation's film reviewers who have pronounced the picture "stretched beyond wearability," among other things.
But all is not lost. Jon Voight is said to be a "crack up" as Zoolander's stern coal-miner father. And one charitable reviewer said the movie is not without "a few moments of genuinely inspired absurdity." Depending on the depth of the inspiration, and the quality of the popcorn, this alone could make it worth a couple of spare hours' time.
Now, the plot: The unwitting, or unwitted, Zoolander suddenly finds himself playing the dupe of an evil fashion cartel that brainwashed him into trying to kill the prime minister of Malaysia, thus ensuring continuance of the sweat shops and child labor so important to today's read-to-wear industry. How did a humble coal miner's son find himself in a pickle like this? Well, he is blond. But there's the rub, as well: How can poor Zoolander think fast enough to thwart the nasty cartel when he apparently has trouble thinking at any speed at all? The open-endedness of it all leaves something for most of us to relate to. And isn't that what one is supposed to do with movies?
"Zoolander" runs 1 hour and 45 minute and is rated PG-13 for sexual content and drug references. It's playing at Market Square East.

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