Retro

Author(s): Maia
Location: Los Angeles

“Retro”
An Original Musical from The Weinstein Company

Directed by Julie Taymor
Produced by Bob & Harvey Weinstein
Written by Bill Condon
Cinematography by John Seale
Editing by Jacob Craycroft
Art Direction / Set Decoration by Dante Ferreti
Sound by Michael Minkler
Sound Editing by Wylie Statemen

Principal Cast:

Reese Witherspoon as Camilla “Millie” Scott
Penélope Cruz as Lola Vega
Amy Adams as Claire Pointer
Hugh Jackman as George White

With:

Parker Posey as Eva Carmine
Brandon Routh as Doug Vance
Sean Hayes as Dion

Tagline: "Who said it’s wrong to live in the past?"

Synopsis: Back in 1985, eleven year-old Millie Scott was hit by tragedy: her older and totally “tubular” sister Marcia died on a car accident the night of her high school prom. Affected by this heartbreaking event, Millie grew up to become identical to her late sister and increasingly attached to the 80’s culture. Now, at age 31, Millie (Witherspoon) has become an idealistic manager of a vintage record store in Manhattan whose closer friends Lola (Cruz) and Claire (Adams) describe as “Cindy Lauper meets Princess Diana.”

For most of her adult life, Millie has passionately fought the expansion of global corporations. When the owner of “The Culture Club” informs her that they are going out of business and that a Starbucks Coffee will be taking their place, Millie’s life begins to collapse. Unable to find a job in a non-lucrative, pro-human rights, environmental-friendly, diversity-oriented organization that would pay her rent and organic food, Millie ends up being hired as a marketing manager in a Virgin Records-like company named Audio City. There, Millie reunites with former high school sweetheart and outcast George White (Jackman), now a sophisticated marketing director who used to dress up as The Edge from U2.

Romance sparks again but there’s an obstacle between them: Eva Carmine, the loud and bitchy California “Valley Girl” PR director of Audio City (and George’s jealous ex-girlfriend) who’ll do whatever she can to get back with him and to get Millie fired. Meanwhile, Lola Vega and Claire Pointer face dilemmas of their own:

A man-eating bar waitress/aspiring Broadway actress, Lola (Cruz), has never got a chance of a leading role because of her hispanic heritage but thanks to her never-quitting spirit, she is determined to land a starring role in an upcoming reinvention of a Shakespeare’s classic.

The nerdy and always supportive Claire (Adams), an elementary school English teacher, is used to comfort Lola whenever she gets rejected after an audition (by taking her to “shop her sorrows away”), but she has problems too: she is a pathological paranoid. Sadly for her, she is feeling somebody is watching her because it’s true.

As the love triangle between Millie, George and Eva continues, conflict between Lola and Claire arises when the flamboyant producer (Hayes) of the Shakespeare play rejects Lola, without even letting her try for the role, for being “too non-white for a period tragedy” and chooses Claire as his “acting discovery.”

Will Millie overcome her childhood trauma? Will she and George end up together again? Will Lola forgive Claire? Will Claire discover who’s been stalking her? All these questions are enjoyably answered through fantastic musical numbers inspired by some of the 80’s most popular songs.

What the press would say:

Totally tubular! That’s the best way to describe female director Julie Taymor’s captivating ‘Retro.”

The engaging musical numbers, the outstanding comedic and vocal performances, the terrific artistic values and the witty screenplay makes “Retro” both a jewel for the musical genre and certainly, the best film of the year. Out of the incredible 25 musical numbers featuring songs by Van Halen, Cindy Lauper, Tears for Fears, Madonna, John Lennon, Boy George, among others; the ones that everyone is talking about are:

“Everybody wants to rule the world”
On the opening scene, Millie (fabulously played by Witherspoon) comes out of her all 80’s decorated apartment singing the original tune by Tears for Fears and heads to “The Culture Club” only to find out she is losing her job. On a dream-like sequence, a devastated Millie walks by Times Square as a group of GAP, McDonald’s, KFC and many more corporation employees continue singing the famous song, but in hard rock, and begin to drag Millie into the closest Audio City store.

“Jump”
After hiring Millie, George (a vocally stunning and charming Jackman) tries to prove he is still the same “80’s outcast” beneath the Zegna suit. Emulating Eddie Van Halen’s classic moves, Jackman and the Audio City staff sing, dance and jump all over the place for Millie (and for own viewing pleasure).

“I Know What Boys Like”
Lola (an ice-melting Cruz) brings out “the girl power” as she shows Millie, Claire and the customers at her workplace how she really knows what boys like. The Pussycat Dolls have an amusing cameo as Lola’s fellow bodacious coworkers in a greatly choreographed number that is reminiscent of Chicago’s ‘Cellblock Tango.”

‘Somebody Is Watching Me”
Alone in her apartment, Claire (a hard-not-to-like Adams) sings the Michael Jackson’s early hit as the screen goes black and white and everything around her seems threatening. The musical ends up revealing who is Claire’s mysterious stalker: Doug (a delightful Brandon Routh in full clumsy mode), who watches Claire carefully from the apartment across the street.

“Simply Irresistible”
Dion (a fantastic Sean Hayes) takes Claire to the beauty salon for an extreme makeover prior to her acting debut. A flamboyant team of stylists sing along him while she quickly goes from “ugly-duckling” to swan. Simultaneously, Doug (an endearing Routh) observes from his building how Claire has become, yes, irresistible… but also seemingly vane and narcissistic. Will he do anything to show her that what’s inside is what matters the most?

“Valley Girl”
The kitsch classic “Valley Girl” from Moon Unit & Frank Zappa is taken by storm by a show stealing Parker Posey. Playing the annoying, yet appealing villainess Eva Carmine, Posey displays her powerful singing abilities on this particular number where she confronts and mocks Millie and Lola, after accidentally meeting them on a department store.

‘Here comes the rain again”
Nearing the film’s climax, Millie has lost both the love of her life and her job. On this heartbreaking number inspired on the classic Eurhythmics song, Millie sings under the rain as she looks back at her childhood troubles and makes a transcendental life decision.

Toplined by a vibrant Witherspoon as a lovely heroine and well supported by Jackman’s electric performance along with Cruz’s sexiness, Adams’ surprising vocals, Sean Hayes’ hilarious turn as an over-dramatic producer and Parker Posey’s hilarious performance as the ultimate incarnation of a “Valley Girl,” ‘Retro” is simply put: irresistible.

Do not hesitate to support this touching film because of its light-hearted nature; “Retro” is a successful feel-good musical with strong social commentary at its core. Trust me, you’ll be leaving the theater wanting more…

Consider ‘Retro” for the next awards:

Best Picture (AMPAS)
Best Picture Comedy/Musical (HFPA)
Best Ensemble (SAG)
Best Original Screenplay
Best Director – Julie Taymor
Best Actress – Reese Witherspoon
Best Actor – Hugh Jackman
Best Supporting Actress – Penélope Cruz
Best Supporting Actress – Amy Adams
Best Supporting Actress – Parker Posey
Best Supporting Actor – Brandon Routh
Best Supporting Actor – Sean Hayes