Ian's "Tapestry"

Following the same formula as the 2001 masterpiece "Moulin Rouge!", Ian crafts a new musical in "Tapestry" using well-known songs to get the emotion out of his characters.

Written and Directed by Baz Luhrmann, the film stars Ellen Page and Michael Angarano (pictured) as love-struck teens who are torn apart by the draft during the Vietnam War. The story is told through various song-and-dance numbers using such radio hits as "So Far Away" and "I Feel The Earth Move".

This bait does something that no other musical bait has done before. Ian integrates the songs into the actual synopsis, putting them in the places where they would be found in the film's story. This new method allows for greater understandibility and emotional impact, but doesn't help the baits numerous flaws.

First, the casting of Ellen Page, while appropriate, seems uninspired considering the amount of baits she is used in. The same can be said about Evan Rachel Wood, they are not the only two young actresses out there! My second issue with the bait is it's likeness to the Julie Taymor film "Across the Universe", which uses Beatles songs to tell the story of college lovers during the anti-war movements of the '60s and '70s. A great deal of appreciation for the bait is destroyed by the mere fact that the latter film is actually being released. It would be as if somebody made a mob bait about a snitch that stars Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio. Another problem, one which I am known for despising, is the bait's length. The synopsis is nearly a full page on word and gives away too much of the story, hampering a chance at the reader's imaginative thinking. And the fourth and final flaw is the choice of songs found throughout the bait. I felt as if it were some strange spin-off of "High School Musical" with all the songs used. For instance, "I Feel The Earth Move" is used when the two lead first fall in love while Ellen Page sings "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman" so after. They seem rather out of place in a bait that is supposed to be romantic and dramatic, but songs like "You're My Best Friend" make it seem bubbly and ultra-commerical. Also the use of Chrstina Aguilera's "Beautiful" is placed in a completely cliche scene that drains the true beauty that is found in the song. Overall, Ian's bait is a well-planned out musical epic that has major shortcomings that will hurt it in the final awards. But expect it to show up at the Golden Globes, where low-rated musicals usually get their chance to shine.

Grade: C

Awards Contender:

Most Likely to Become a Cult Film

Best Title

Shameless Oscar Vehicle