American Ugly

Rating: 9/10 (30 September 2000)

SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER AND UNCUT (1999)-- Grade: A-
The year of 1999 was, for me, a hell of a year for cinema, especially the American cinema. Stanley Kubrick died, but he left his last jewel EYES WIDE SHUT. We came to knew new talents as Spike Jonze (BEING JOHN MALKOVICH) and to have a strong proof of others' abilities- Paul Thomas Anderson with 1999's best, MAGNOLIA. That was also the year of BOYS DON'T CRY, THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, ELECTION, THE SIXTH SENSE, THE INSIDER, THE MATRIX, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES, ARLINGTON ROAD, MAN ON THE MOON, CRUEL INTENTIONS, GO, FIGHT CLUB... But the one that is most likely to stay as a classic is AMERICAN BEAUTY. Even not being the year's best (MAGNOLIA is even better), it won 5 Oscar. And it touched us and made us laugh with an original and dark satire of the stupid and unbearable American way of life. AMERICAN BEAUTY was a semi-commercial, semi-artistic picture, or maybe not one nor the other, that used symbolism and mise-en-scene to tell its story and criticize the American family, also talking about the beauty that we can see even in a plastic bag. If that criticism was deep and bittersweet, the one that is in SOUTH PARK- BIGGER, LONGER AND UNCUT is very different. Not just the American society is criticized, but also the militarism, the racism, the movie ratings, the patriotism, Brooke Shields, Saddam Hussein, the Baldwin brothers, Winona Ryder... Everything and everyone you imagine... And much more.
I started watching the animated series some years ago, but I was never a die-hard fan. But when I watched it I had a great time. When the movie was released in the US I was looking forward to see it, but the Brazilian distributors committed a mistake and the movie was released here only in August 2000. But the wait was worthy. SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER AND UNCUT is the most offensive movie I've ever seen and also one of the funniest. I couldn't stop laughing a minute. There was more and more and more absurds and wicked situations to laugh at. But the good thing is that all those offensive things have a point. Trey Parker and Matt Stone criticize everything, but in fact they just want to show the American hypocrisy, using all the kinds of over-the-top situations. Of course the criticism is not so mature and strong as in FIGHT CLUB, but Parker and Stone just want to make us have fun with that, while David Fincher has a very different point- with no links to make audiences have fun.
The story starts when the four boys go to the movies to watch a R-rated movie starring Terrance and Philip, two Canadian comedians who use the sickest kind of humor. The boys start to use the words they heard on the movie and after some days all the school is using the words. Of course the mothers get very, very angry, so what they can do... Blame Canada, why not? They start a real war against the country "above", but the things get really nasty, involving even the Devil and Saddam Hussein as lovers. You can't even imagine what happens then... Kenny's death in the hospital room is one of the funniest parts, but this is a minor thing (there is the "search for the clitoris", a certain German porn video in the Internet and more). Of course everything is taken to the limit, but all is covered by an intelligent screenplay and much originality.
The idea of using a musical structure is another smart thing. The Disney animations are musicals, but some of them (POCAHONTAS, yawn!) are so pathetic that they may harm children's minds. SOUTH PARK is not for children- don't even think that! The point is that the songs are more realistic and intelligent, even using an interminable number of F-words. (That song about the uncle is so sick!)
SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER AND UNCUT may be really hazardous, even fatal to the most delicate and conventional people, but if you are an open person and like to laugh of absurds, then this movie is for you. The funniest film of 1999 by far and one of the funniest ever made. But don't forget there is a point, that makes it... bittersweet.