Before Barbie and the Lego movie franchise, there was Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont’s Josie and The Pussycats, a sleek little subversion of tween fandom, spending power and the evils of capitalism
The lowdown: Du Jour are a “wicked” US boy band, pitched somewhere between N’Sync and Backstreet Boys. Every kid in America loves them, because –spoiler!– the record company is putting subliminal messages in the music telling them to buy their music, associated merch, and products like branded cola and clothing. But when there’s a mishap involving their A and R man and the plane en route to a show, the band’s over and another must be found. Ah, the disposability of pop stars.
Thankfully, Josie and The Pussycats, three fresh -faced young artists with a dream, slot into the gap. But at what cost? Blending satire with a ‘Scooby-Do’ aesthetic (after all,this is based on the original Archies comics series) the glamorous power pop trio is born.
Rachael Leigh Cook is sensible can -do singer and guitarist Josie, Rosario Dawson the sassy bassist Valerie, and providing a considerable comic turn as dizzy drummer Melody is Tara Reid. Of course, the trio are stereotypes, but they actually learned to play as a band before filming, acquit themselves well as believable best friends, and could easily be an Avril Lavigne -esque millennium- era band.
It’s surprisingly campy and acerbic fare, due in no small part to the double act of Alan Cumming and Parker Posey as the villainous record company bods Wyatt and Fiona, whose nefarious plans are almost Orwellian, with product placement in nearly every scene. It manages to feel uproarious, yet pointed.Think Jason Schwartzman in ‘Scott Pilgrim vs the World ‘ and you’re on the right track.
There are some excellent cameos- Eugene Levy plays a diva version of himself, and the Captain and Tenille VH1 documentary parody is just absurd enough to feel authentic.
What I appreciate most though, is the female characters getting their own adventures. Sure, it may not quite pass the Bechdel Test, but these young women have agency and a love interest in the shape of Gabriel Mann’s slacker musician Alan M- part Stephen Malkmus, part young James Spader. Le swoon.
Kaplan and Elfont clearly love pop culture, in all its colourful, multifaceted and ridiculous glory. And it shows. It’s better than any pop comedy should be. Not purrrrfect, but a fun and deceptively smart ride.
Hit The North 