The changes in female attitude, dictated by the pop princesses, were visible in the cinema as well. In the years 1997-2003, when pop chicks became evermore funky, the young movie starlets (Liv Tyler, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Angelina Jolie, Cameron Diaz, Christina Ricci, Selma Blair) also displayed a new kind of femininity, strong and kicking ass in action flicks, independent and rebellious in teen dramas, sexually liberated in romantic comedies. In the following years, just like in pop, this attitude deteriorated to the loose and stupid behavior of starlets like Lindsay Lohan and Tara Reid. But there were others, who preserved the good from that wild period but displayed a tamer attitude, like Natalie Portman and Keira Knightly, and above all, Scarlett Johansson. Combining the beauty and glamour of the old screen goddesses, new millennium sexiness, a bright and fetching personality, good taste, and a serious attitude towards the acting profession, Scarlett managed to charm many people in the movie industry, and was offered many diverse and juicy roles to sink her teeth into. Thus, she became the most interesting entertainment figure of the latter half of the decade.
Many of the period's movie-starlets tried to make it as singers as well, and the products they put out were as superficial as their image. When Johansson decided to cross over, it was obvious that we were going to get something else, and I was very curious to hear which direction she will take. Once again, she managed to charm some great people to want to work with her, and got the acclaimed producer Dave Sitek, and none other than David Bowie, who awoke for a moment from his long hibernation to contribute background vocals on a couple of the tracks, including this one. But the album also displayed the problem with smart and serious girls: they can be too smart and serious. Scarlett decided to do an album consisting only of Tom Waits covers, and went with Sitek to strange and foggy directions. It was another testament to her good taste and creativity, and was a worthy homage to Waits (who gave his blessing to the project and was satisfied with the result), but did not give her the opportunity to show other sides of her personality, like the glamour, the sexiness, the humor and other things I like about her. She took an active role in the production, and created interested walls of sound, but too many times she drowned her vocal in them. I was hoping the videos would save the day, but the only video she made is this one, which goes in the other directions and shows her as the everyday person behind the glamour. Clever, you see.
I hope Scarlett keeps singing, and explores other directions. One of her virtues is a will to get better and try new things, so there's hope. When this will happen, it will be possible to go back to her first album and enjoy the good things in it, and there are many. Her vocal has many colors, and her theatrical ability can express itself in Waits' epic songs. She understands and connects to the lyrics, and tries to deliver the emotions while doing it in an original vocal style. You have to listen carefully to get it all behind the misty production, and then you hear someone trying honestly to be an artist. When you look at the vid, you realize how desperately Scarlett wants us to see her as a woman of deep substance, not just amazing outer beauty. When she will succeed in combining her interior and exterior, she'll fully realize her potential.
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