Harry Says It Would Be Criminal To Not See HOT FUZZ Immediately!!!

There’s a movie that has opened this weekend that is my favorite film, I’ve seen thus far this year. That film is… HOT FUZZ. I’ve seen it 4 times now, I’ve no idea why it’s taken me this long to write about it. It’s probably because I talked so much about it, that I keep thinking that I had written about it. You see – I’ve been interviewed about the film by places like the AP, NPR and TIME magazine – why have they called me about this wondrous film, I’ve no idea, but I will tell you… HOT FUZZ is a blast. A hilarious film. I don’t know about you, but I love a good Cop movie. So many films seem to want to concentrate on making the bad guys the central characters, but in a good Cop movie, the center of attention is a good Cop. What does that mean? Well, it means he shots to disable. It means he upholds the law, no matter the paper work. He aggressively pursues his duties, believes in catching crime in progress – as opposed to waiting around till it becomes near impossible to solve. Now – I’m not real sure what the national prejudice is that keeps British accented films of a superior quality from kicking the rightful amount of ass that they deserve to in the United States. I’m not sure why SHAUN OF THE DEAD didn’t perform at the spectacular levels I wanted it to… of the last WALLACE & GROMIT film… or the gangster flicks… But this is one British film that is so firmly a part of our culture over here in the United States. I love it. Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg crafted a script that is a literal love letter to the American Cop films. One whose tongue is very much in its cheek, but does it in a lovably goofy manner that just makes you so blissfully happy – you smile like a goofy happy go-lucky sort of fella. Comedy Satire hasn’t been this on target since the heyday of MONTY PYTHON or MEL BROOKS’ finest films. This isn’t the cheap gaggy nonsense of the NAKED GUN or SCARY MOVIE variety. That dumbed down retarded idiocy… This is calculated hilarity at the expense of not a single neuron. It has the exactitude of an AARDMAN film… not just on par with the great British Ealing comedies, but right there with the finest we’ve seen in our country as well. That said, there’s a real Geek’s Geekness about it all. These guys haven’t merely loved the genre they’re playing with… they’ve done it in such a way as to not be just PURE IMITATION, but INNOVATION. They’ve studied the genre, played with it and made it their own. That said – while the laughs are genuine, the action is genuinely awesome. I’m not talking about the big last act – that was great, but the best bits of action are, to me, the most mundane. Like chasing and capturing the shoplifter in a foot chase. When was the last time that your pulse quickened by the editing and shooting of a FOOT CHASE. Not squealing tires and the shifting of gears and the low bass rumbles of the roaring engine… but the intensity of a mano-a-mano foot chase. It’s hard to really describe it, but it really is intensely thrilling. A missing quality to the film is the area of a “Love Interest” – however – it really isn’t missing. Sure, Simon doesn’t have some babe to look longingly into… but he does have Nick Frost. This isn’t a gay relationship, but a platonic love story. It’s a story about how to men became best friends. The sort of friends that you never stop chatting with, watching movies with… and even buying plants for. It’s a relationship that many geeks are very familiar with. Now sure – you could say, how’s this different than the relationship between Nick and Simon in either SPACED or SHAUN OF THE DEAD – but we never saw how those relationships really began. Well, flashbacks from SPACED aside… but here we finally get the first date, the second date and the many dates after that. The first time Nick brought Simon home. What was their first double feature? When did Nick lure Simon to the dark side of booze? All this and more are answered in this film. That said – Nick isn’t a one dimensional bit of goofy comedy – his character has a sad side. When asked why he became a cop, you can see that it was just about family obligations. That he’s never been the cop he dreamt of being, the type of cop that lives and breathes in the action films of America. However, when Simon comes to his police force… a big city cop with a sterling record, his eyes open up big as a fawning admirer. Simon is the man he wishes he could be, but just doesn’t put the effort forward to become that man. Simon tries to help him move forward into that realm. To become a good cop. One that keeps the peace, that doesn’t go off half cocked. That takes speed traps as serious as jaywalking and bank robbery. That realizes a drunk driver is more likely to take a life than the very rare gun crazed maniac. The film is also filled with the most amazing British cast that I believe I’ve seen assembled for a British comedy film since those Ealing days. It’s really astonishing. Faves? Well, Prince Baron/James Bond/Timothy Dalton of course. Timothy hasn’t had this much scene chewing fun since he got to lampoon Errol Flynn in THE ROCKETEER. His ghoulish grocer jogger is very funny. Reverend Belloq.. heh… he kicks all manners of ass. Seriously though – when’s the last time you got to see Paul Freeman in a film in this country? He’s been working solid, but not really in anything that got on U.S. screens. And for Edgar to not really make an Indy joke is kinda amazing… unless I missed it. Eek. Jim Broadbent may very well be my favorite British actor. If only for his astonishing performance in… well just about fucking everything. But in particular, singing LIKE A VIRGIN in MOULIN ROUGE. Here – he plays the head of the police and father to Nick’s Butterman. The result is something really special. As the pricks of the film, Paddy Considine and Rafe Spall are awesome as the Andys. There’s so many surprises and gags and heartfelt moments that it’d be a crime to spoil, but to miss perhaps the best comedy you’ll see this year – in place of a selection of really unremarkable films… well, it’d be a crime… and one that Sergeant Nicholas Angel should lock you up for. So… Make the effort to see it ASAP Stateside. To you British readers – you already know and love the greater glory of this film. Let your colonists know how much they’re missing by not seeing this film. It more than makes up for that nasty Taxation without Representation scuffle back in the day. Right?