In May 8000 people watched Me Me Me - probably more than watch a Guy Ritchie or Woody Allen movie in its entire life!

www.MeMeMeMovie.com

will download it next time at a stable connection. Already looking forward to it x

Interesting review from the Chris Morris board Cook'd and Bomb'd...

Well, I've just finished watching Me Me Me, and as far as the foregoing review by Artemis goes, I most strongly concur with him on the subject of the music. The tunes were nearly all very enjoyable and catchy, albeit Johnny Bambino's hits had a slightly quaint sound for a contemporary pop singer (not that I'm complaining, as to say the least I am not overkeen on modern pop, and much prefer the musical style that was on display here). On the negative evaluation as to the story itself (or as much of it as he could be bothered to actually watch), I also most strongly concur-not!

Unlike Artemis, I did watch through right to the very end. The story itself-over and above the old Romeo and Juliet-type theme of a love story with a mutually tragic ending-was an interesting exploration of media-created sensations, heroes and villains-with Jane and Johnny the two innocent victims chewed up and spat out by the remorseless media machine-remorseless in the abstract, and in the specific representative of the tabloid editor, who shows no remorse for Johnny, or even his erstwhile employee Jane.

Interesting was the theme of the media following what it sees as popular morality. It is implicitly argued that the media see it as necessary to dump those it has been an erstwhile vaunter of, when they are exposed in conduct that is seen as reprehensible by the common standard, or when the interests it offends (such as the church, in this instance, both abstractly considered, and in its concrete manifestation as the hallowed Westminster Abbey) carry too much clout in society for the media not to be seen to take their part. Over and above that, the expediency of scandal to create more hype around a subject for which positive news coverage may be becoming less newsworthy and thereby less commercial is also implicitly vaunted. Irresponsible journalism-such as the story of Johnny's stabbing, published before it is confirmed-and its possible knock-on effects-here, Jane's suicide, are also condemned.

Despite the tragedy of the ending, the final song sounds a satisfying uplifting note to conclude on, urging the maintenance of hope no matter how bad may seemed-and linking that rather trite and general abstract sentiment to a specific saviour, in terms of the media, the internet, which, it is implied, is a more honest media whose content is not determined by what a small coterie of proprietors deem to be most conducive to profit and loss.

The only caveats I have for the production are in terms of credibility. The scene in which Jane and Tabby discuss their mutual backgrounds is introduced in one of the most cringingly artificial and contrived ways ever-to wit, Jane suddenly observing to Tabby that, although they had been at college together for a period but had never really discussed their mutual backgrounds, apropos of nothing in particular. Also, Jane's just chancing to be hit upon by the very graffiti artist whom she is trying to track down, without having identified or targetted him for the purposes of effecting a meeting is also a most artificial and unlikely plot device-as is Jane and Tabby agreeing to go outside the club for a chat with two blokes they do not know, and the very first thing Johnny doing upon this being to announce himself as the graffiti worker, and introduce himself by full name (for all he knew, they could have been policewomen). Also, if Johnny is known as the graffiti artist and this is the basis on which he is elevated to pop-stardom, surely the police would have intervened. However, one should not get too hung up on questions of practicality and credibility, as musical is a form of entertainment in which these factors are of relatively little importance.

In concluding, one can take note of a couple of pieces of noteworthy humour. The fictional tabloid in the film is called the Moon-a multi-faceted joke, given both that it invokes by name the astral body that is counterpart to the one whose name is borne by today's most notorious tabloid, and given the title of the 1960s hit that catapulted the show's creator to fame. Also, JK's cameo role, as an ordinary member of the public who is camera-shy and unwilling to give even a soundbite for a street reporter is also rather funny in it's own right, given his penchant for embracing publicity!

In summary, then, a most entertaining and worthwhile 90 minutes! Good work all around! Well done, Kenneth![1]
1. That's actually JK's real Christian name-but don't tell anyone!!!

JK2006 wrote:
In May 8000 people watched Me Me Me - probably more than watch a Guy Ritchie or Woody Allen movie in its entire life!

www.MeMeMeMovie.com

Woody Allen is a genius, so well done, you sound as silly as Simon Cowell. If you ever create something as good as Annie Hall or Manhattan, I guess you'll feel you're on the slide.

Oh Morty you're SO Norty!
Who says I'm not a genius.
I think I am - in my own lunchtime.

I have to say, the one negative point in the review you posted above is one I agree with (and I say this as a huge fan of both your films).

The scene where Tabby and Jane meet up is just dreadful. In fact it almost made me press 'stop' when I watched it the first time. I won't dwell too long on it as I don't want it to detract from what is a wonderfully enjoyable film, but.....

The wooden acting I can generally handle, it's kind of cute in the film as a whole. But what the heck is all that stuff about police and the 'race card' about. It seems to come out of nowhere and has no relevance to anything before or after. The scene is simply awful, please cut it!

Otherwise I love the film!

david wrote:


The wooden acting I can generally handle, it's kind of cute in the film as a whole. But what the heck is all that stuff about police and the 'race card' about. It seems to come out of nowhere and has no relevance to anything before or after. The scene is simply awful, please cut it!



I thought it linked in with the theme of media manipulation in that its about how organisations manipulate concerns about racism by appointing 'token blacks' without really believing in genuine equal opps.

Three things David and Hamlet - yes, it was meant to stretch the comment about "organisations" and it was also needed to get the biggYbigg track/video in (which I really wanted to include - I think it's funny) but essentially - Paul Wiffen felt (rightly) the scene didn't work as it was originally written so we adapted it on the hoof. Mistake. We could have spent half an hour thinking about it and greatly improved it. But it's such an essential part of the plot we can't lose it now. It does, sadly, slow the speed down (as does the Too Long Marshall/Jane sequence) and I do think the first 20 minutes could and should have been trimmed by about 5 minutes but you live and learn! Please remember - this is only my second movie - both done on really shoestring budgets. I'm learning all the time.

Incidentally, the writer of the long review above sent me a private message saying Don't Forget Me When You're On Your Island is stuck in his head and he thinks it deserves to be a smash.

I do love mememe, it's such a joy to watch, whilst making a valid point. (I just skip past that scene now!).