Rent Josie and the Pussycats (2001)

Now That’s What I Call Consumerism - Josie and the Pussycats review by griggs

What a daft little glitter bomb this is. Josie and the Pussycats looks like a teen pop comedy that’s had too many E-numbers, but underneath the bubblegum and leopard print it’s taking a proper swipe at consumer culture. Whatever Trojan horse tricks it has, they arrive in platform boots and neon lights: this film is loud, garish and fully aware of how ridiculous it is. Its cartoon roots are part of the joke too, with random characters and throwaway gags from the popping up because the film is happy to laugh at itself.

The product placement isn’t just part of the joke; it is the joke. Every surface is selling something; the sets look like MTV threw up in a shopping centre. Rachael Leigh Cook gives the film some heart, Rosario Dawson gives it edge, Tara Reid is genuinely funny, and Parker Posey and Alan Cumming play the corporate villains like subtlety has been banned by management.

It’s bright, silly, catchy and a bit exhausting, but sharper than it first appears.

Silly Teen Comedy - Josie and the Pussycats review by GI

A lighthearted if rather silly teen comedy about three close friends who have formed a talented garage band and dream of making it to the big time. If it had stuck to that plot this could've been a neat comedy but it doesn't. The story goes off into ridiculousness with a plot that involves a conniving music exec' (Parker Posey) and her slimy talent spotter (Alan Cumming) who are more interested in planting subliminal messages into the music of their acts to hypnotise young people into buying crap. They casually murder off any artists who suss this. Eventually our intrepid group of girls (Rachel Leigh Cook, Tara Reid & Rosario Dawson) realise what's going on and set out to defeat the baddies. There's some fun to be had here but it's all daft and forgettable even while trying to say something about materialism and following trends created by companies to make money.