Plush (2013)

Plush: Directed by Catherine Hardwicke. With Emily Browning, Xavier Samuel, Cam Gigandet, Dawn Olivieri. A young singer/songwriter, despite being married, becomes involved with her new guitarist, who she soon discovers has a dark past and may be a danger to her and those close to her.

“After reading some of these reviews I started thinking a better use of my time would be to hunt down all copies of u0026quot;Plushu0026quot; and destroy them to make the world a better place. So glad I didnu0026#39;t.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhile this movie certainly wonu0026#39;t solve world hunger and seal the ozone layer, it did provide some interesting thoughts to ponder, and of course the story, though yes cliché at times (what rock n roll movie isnu0026#39;t??), it had enough suspense and twists to keep me riveted.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI wonu0026#39;t say much about the plot because almost anything is a spoiler. Iu0026#39;ll just say that itu0026#39;s a story of a somewhat naïve young singer falling prey to the darker elements of the music business. But what makes it compelling is the subtle theme that these u0026quot;darker elementsu0026quot; (pain, cruelty and other vices) are what make a successful artist. More about that later…u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI think some people came away with negative opinions because none of the characters are perfect, and you may find yourself hating them for stupid things they do. The main character u0026quot;Hayleyu0026quot; (Emily Browning) is not a strong individual; sheu0026#39;s no badass like Joan Jett or Siouxie or Amy Winehouse. No, Hayley is deliberately portrayed as a sort of fragile leaf in the wind who is easily coerced into doing unwise things. The story begins by implying that the death of her brother leaves her adrift, insecure and vulnerable. I think Emily Browning did a great job of playing such a character, foolish yet intelligent, and despite her questionable choices, we can still associate with her as someone who is trying to find her footing in life.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOh but donu0026#39;t expect the ABC afterschool special because u0026quot;Plushu0026quot; isnu0026#39;t afraid to get down u0026amp; dirty. While thereu0026#39;s not a lot of blood, gore u0026amp; nudity shown on screen, violence and sexual situations are clearly implied. Not a good date movie, since most of the u0026quot;intimateu0026quot; scenes border on rape. But, going back to what I said earlier, these u0026quot;darker elementsu0026quot; are central to the theme of the artistu0026#39;s passion.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMy only real gripe with the movie was that they didnu0026#39;t explore that more for us. I suppose the film plants the idea and we are supposed to ponder it ourselves. But still, I wouldu0026#39;ve loved to see some powerful, chilling monologues (like in u0026quot;Amadeusu0026quot; where Salieri declares war on god for not giving him enough talent). But I suppose dramatic monologues like that wouldu0026#39;ve sacrificed the plotu0026#39;s momentum. And the plot is clearly designed to be a roller-coaster from the very opening scene to the very last.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThat very same breakneck pace might be what turns some people off, thinking itu0026#39;s too unrealistic. But hey folks, this is rock n roll. Anything goes.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI thought the soundtrack was nicely done. I didnu0026#39;t recognize any bands on the list, but the overall vibe was something like the dark 90s bands Nine Inch Nails, Evanescence u0026amp; Tool. With just a splash of Hilary Duff. I think I read that Emily Browning actually sang vocals. If so she did a fine job. One thing to note is how the music gets more u0026amp; more messed up as the film spirals down. The last song, u0026quot;Half of Me (Enzo remix)u0026quot; is so positively screwed up that itu0026#39;s almost a joke, but thatu0026#39;s the point.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf you like this movie I highly recommend other films that delve into the theme of depraved artists and what fuels them: u0026quot;Art School Confidentialu0026quot;, the Aussie rock n roll comedy u0026quot;Garage Daysu0026quot;, and sure why not… Oliver Stoneu0026#39;s u0026quot;The Doorsu0026quot;.”