Clueless (1995) - Movie 《独领风骚》

This movie is by no means, a classic movie from the script’s point of view, it however, in many ways defined the generation it portrayed and has hold iconic status in its genre as high school drama. It is delightful, amusing and uplifting. The story happened among a bunch of rich Hollywood teens that only care about appearance, popularity and having fun, a life style that is centuries away from my high school in rural China, which is study, study and more study.

The cast of this classic teen movie is superb; the movie is fun and playful: Alicia Silverstone portrays the beautiful Cher Horowitz, a stylish and street smart teenage girl whose bubbly personality is infectious. Although Cher is about as deep as a puddle, you can’t help but love her. Cher's sidekick Dion, is just as shallow as Cher, and just as stylish and beautiful.


A hilarious quote

"Do you think she is pretty?"
"No, she is a Monet."
"What is a Monet?"
"It is like the paintings. See? From far away, it is Okay. Up close, it is a big old mess."


The wardrobes of the lead characters are fabulous. The movie’s setting was 1995, a time when grunge fashion was still popular. Alicia Silverstone’s costumes in the film were surprisingly trendsetting and soon became the new fashions of real life. Plaids, pastels, baby doll dresses and knee-high tights quickly became the new "thing" in young women's fashion in the following years.


It was a blast to watch the movie, even more fun when watching with several good girlfriends.


Inspiration

Speaking of getting inspirations from movies, here comes a great example. In the movie, the rich, beautiful, spoiled girl Cher used her computer to virtually put together an outfit that suited her mood for the day. This scene has inspired many fashionistas and computer geeks to build virtual wardrobe software applications, dozens of which have developed to viable businesses. Dress Assistant, Polyvore , Style Diary are just a few of them. I would give high credits to this movie just for this one single reason.



Now let’s check out the fabulous outfits:


Just Preppy

Plaid jacket, pleated mini skirt, white or blue cotton shirts, diamond pattern sweaters, stripes, beret and delicate silver or pearl accessories mix matched many preppy looks for the typical rich California girl Cher.

Plaid suit with matching cardigan and white stocking is young and fresh. Hated the shoulder pad though, a horrible fashion trend in 90’s. Anyway, it still goes well with fair-skinned blond Alicia Silverstone.


Beret, white shirt and stripe jacket: Preppy, smart, British and fabulous:




Patterned sweater, cardigan and headband, cozy and huggable:




Black, white and red. Just adorable:


Sporty outfit: young, energetic and fashionable:


Outfit? No. I hat shiny polyester and fake polyester flowers. Tiffany silver heart toggle necklace? Oh yeah, love it!!



Fabulous Dresses:

Red satin party dress. Attention: Everything is short (mini), gotta have that great legs and butt. This is the Alaia dress Cher was trying to refuse to get down on the ground being afraid of ruining it when she was mugged on the street. Talk about loving a dress more than a girl's life. :)


This is actually fun. Cher picked this white dress for her first date with this gorgeous classmate of her, who turned out to be gay later. When Cher's dad saw her dressed like this and said :" What is that thing you are wearing?" "It is Calvin Klein!" Cher replied delightedly and her dad said, "Looks like an underwear to me. Go put one something over it!". And you see here she put on a white sheer shirt and still looked fabulous. Calvin Klein is famous for his simple, chic look. This simple white dress has all the personalities.


Cher was very excited to have the handsome classmate coming over for a movie night and selected this sexy red velvet dress. When the night didn't go as she expected, without knowing the guy was gay, she became very confused.


Simple, baby doll day dresses featured with high waist and small lace/string ties:


The bridesmaid pink dress. A little tacky but still lovely:


Lovely, sweet, confused and sexy Alicia Silverstone:



Grunge Look

In case you don't know what grunge fashion looks like, here it is. Grunge fashion was influenced by grunge music, which achieved mainstream popularity in 1992. Just like Cher commented in the movie:" I don't want to be a traitor to my generation. But I don't get how guys dress today. It looks like they just fell out of bed, and put on some baggy pants, and take their greasy hair... ugh! And cover it with a backwards cap!"


All in all, this is a fashion feast, a high school drama icon, a 90's style summation.

Genou de Claire, Le (1970) - Claire's Knee – Movie 《克拉之膝》

A 1970 film by French director and writer Éric Rohmer, it is the fifth movie in the series of his famous Six Moral Tales.

“A diplomat Jerôme on holidays, on the verge of getting married, encounters two young girls, 16 years old Laura and her step-sister, 18 years old Claire. During three weeks, he will try to seduce them in order to prove to himself that he is ready for marriage and cannot fall in love with another woman”


The movie is praised as a delicate and precious work of art through character’s conversations and interactions. I just wish I knew French so I could under the delicacy of the movie better.


Lake Annecy, France

The film was taken by the Lake Annecy, the 2nd largest lake in France. I have never been to France, it however,remind me of the Lake Winnipesaukee, the biggest lake in New Hampshire, my favorite destination during summer, where another great movie The Golden Pond (金色池塘) was taken.



Cinematography of the lake and the French Alps in the summer time is luscious in this movie. The color palette in the film is a masterpiece of style and scheme, just like Monet’s painting. Watching the movie made me get into the European mood and yearn for a nice summer vacation there.



The knee

Before I watched the movie, I stared at the title and wondering what on earth did the "knee" to do with this movie. Well, it is because Jerôme is hopelessly attracted to Claire's knee. "Every woman has her vulnerable point. For some, it is the nape of the neck, the waist, the hands. For Claire, in that position, in that light, it was her knee." He says so.

Baring her knee on a ladder under a blooming cherry tree, Claire unwittingly instigates Jerôme’s moral crisis and creates both one of French cinema’s most enduring moments and what has become the iconic image of Rohmer’s Moral Tales.



The movie contains Claire's knee snap shots in different positions. Can you see anything extraordinary here? I see nothing but skinny legs. Finally, Jerôme fulfilled his yearnings by placing his hand upon Claire's knee. LOL!



Let's take a further look at this movie's wardrobe. The setting of the movie laid the tone of the wardrobe: basically countryside, vacation mood, casual, European and rich upper class look.

The Hats

Everybody wears hats in this movie. Maybe it is because of being on vacation, maybe being French? Anyway, the hats look great here.


Girls and their dresses:

The girls are indeed very pretty. Laura is clever, slyly sophisticated, vulnerable and honest. In contrast Claire is a long-legged blond, superficial beauty.

The wardrobe for Laura is simple, boyish, just right for a 16 year old girl and her character: the button decoration on the black skirt is kinda unique; the yellow sweater and short pant with black knee sock are very nice for hiking in a sunny day; love the simple red sweater dress with belt - a casual holiday look; they sunbath by the lake in front of the boardinghouse all the time. Aren't you jealous?!


No wonder Jerôme was immediately attracted by Claire as soon as they met even though he just showed affection to Laura. He can't move his eyes from her. Claire, as Laura's elder sister, is more mature, feminine and a bit distant:

First, it is this turquoise bikini that exposes her perfect skinny figure:


Then she threw on a matching color hat and a navy knit cover-up effortlessly and beautifully:


This blue mini dress with matching hat is absolutely adorable! Here also comes my favorite part of the movie - a perfect description of tranquil country life, with mom reading in the yard and children picking cherries. I can't help but recall when I was a kid, my mom used to climb to the big date tree to pick dates for us in our country house yard with my grandmother shouting at her because she didn't use a ladder. And I stood under the tree facing the sky and waiting for my mom to throw me the biggest ripe dates. How much I miss those old times with my folks! My mom was very young and energetic back then and my father always called her a monkey. (Here, I wish my mom will recover soon, very soon...)


Claire and her boyfriend, a very sweet young couple: preppy tennis outfits, folklore pattern print party dress and shirt... they do like match-matchy - so cute!


A simple black dress with a golden belt and long necklace: fabulous with or without a white jacket.


Claire’s mom is a stylish, sophisticated, rich French lady and a career woman:


And last, Jerôme’s female writer friend, a romantic yet intellectual woman: