Gossip Girl

I hadn’t really thought of reviewing a TV series for my blog but last night, through dawn, I spent 8 straight hours watching and completing Gossip Girl season one. What an achievement eh? I thought I should refrain myself from watching anymore show for the day and instead of film review, I present you with a TV series review. How’s that?

(Some of you wouldn’t even bother to read on, I understand.)

I read one series of Gossip Girl novel back in 2004. I couldn’t remember the story but I remember thinking it was trashy so when the TV series aired I wasn’t planning on watching it. Friends been telling me the show is different from the novel but I didn’t buy that until yesterday, first day of my study week, I finished the first season at one go and prior to that I watched 3 movies. I think I’m having square, or rather rectangular eyes soon.

Anyway.

Gossip Girl is an elite prep-school drama with lots of eye-candies for guys and girls and fashion followers. I wasn’t hoping much on the story but it turns out pretty good. It begins with the unexpected return of Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) after a year of disappearing act reported by the anonymous yet omniscient Gossip Girl. She struggles to pick up the pieces she left as her best friend, or EX-best friend Blair (Leighton Meester) becomes her biggest nemesis and Blair’s boyfriend who has an obvious secret crush on her doesn’t make it any easier. I was afraid it would turn into a Serena the Good vs Blair the Evil kind of show but fortunately it doesn’t. Without spilling too much spoiler, Serena and Blair recoup their friendship and the story moves to include the story of 4 other main characters; Dan (Penn Badgley) and Jenny Humphrey (Taylor Momsen), Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford), Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick) along with their dysfunctional families.

In terms of film techniques this is one of the worst ever. The editing is unbearable. It’s hard to describe it here, but there are many unsmooth cuts from one shot to another and heaps of uncomfortable too close-up shots. If you’ve studied a bit of filming I’m sure you can point those out easily.

The actors look too old to be in uniforms but who cares, they look gorgeous. Gossip Girl explores the current culture amongst teenagers; money, sex, jealousy, lust for fame, etc. Regrettably, instead of dissuading the meaningless pursuit of those items, this show lures people to them. You might be old enough to not be affected, but young teens would probably want to follow Serena’s and Blair’s footsteps in their Manolos after watching the show.

There you have it. An unprofessional film based on a trashy novel about few goodies and morally deficient students set in the fantasy world of Upper East Manhattan. Do you still want to watch this? I bet you do. We need to plunge into such guilty pleasure once in a while. Why do you think I spent 8 straight hours on this?

xoxo.

u know u love me.

 
Mel says:  B+

Last updated: 2009-08-08 00:37:29 by popcornaday