In this new century of film one of the more notable
collaborations between an actor and director has been in the comedic pairing of
Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. This is slightly more extensive as Pegg was also being
part of the behind the scenes creative force as a co-writer of the projects.
The two began with the television series Spaced where you can see the two
working out their form in a situation comedy. It is perhaps then why the two
were able to breakout so successfully with their first feature film together in
Shaun of the Dead. A film that worked both as a parody of zombie films and as a
zombie film. This followed by the comedic masterpiece of Hot Fuzz which did the
same thing for the explosive action cop genre. Sadly, the same cannot quite be
said for The World's End, which after watching it again after several years
still frustrates me to a certain extent. This is not to say it is a bad film,
it however is easily the sloppiest of the three, where its sort of comical
juxtaposition isn't nearly as effectively realized as in the previous two
films, it is also quite simply not as funny as the first two films. That is in
part, I believe, that it doesn't really do a parody of alien invasion films in
the way Fuzz and Shaun did for their respective genres, it is more of just a
more comedic entry in that genre, but this also seems to be Edgar Wright’s,
I'll say mistaken, way of seeming to want to move away from comedies. Although
more on the shortcomings of the World's End will be forthcoming.
Pegg's place as a comedic leading man in this thematic
trilogy is atypical for a comedic performer and collaborator even. Now as the
zombie fighting Shaun, he is the more typical comedy lead, really the type of
presence typical for a comedy lead. That being the somewhat hapless average,
somewhat underachieving, Joe, who isn't overly smart, but smarter than his even
simpler friend. Breaking convention entirely though is in Hot Fuzz where he
plays a complete one eighty as the excessively straight laced Nicholas Angel
who is an overachiever. He's not even a character for a cop comedy, or a cop
film for that matter. In that Angel is kind of who would be the side character
cop in many films given his extreme by the books nature. If that is not enough
though Gary King manages to be a whole different sort. This can be taken as
even a bit of a surprise as he too is a pub dwelling "common man"
much like Shaun, however Gary isn't an underachiever, he's a never achiever.
Although there is far more to be said there as well. The whole set up to the
characters though is notable in itself given their vast differences in nature,
though with two common areas, one being that each is brought to life by Simon
Pegg, who is a far greater actor than he often lets on and their life
philosophy is challenged through some strange events essentially.
Pegg's performance has actually a large physical component
that isn't given enough credit. Now in part this is his expert physical timing,
which is an essential element when it comes to the very visually inclined humor
of Edgar Wright. Pegg is on form in every sense in that regard whether it be as
Shaun waves hands in the air at the first sign of "don't call it the z
word", Angel's many physical misadventures with the physically fierce trolley
boy, or Gary's frequent drunken prat falls. That is certainly part of it and it
should not be overlooked at any point. Pegg though grants each character their
own physical nature. Well Shaun actually is just a straight forward man, which
is fine. Pegg though transforms himself as Nick Angel the "Super
cop". This is beyond just physically bulking up for the role, as his whole
walk is a man of conviction and duty. He grants a natural intensity which is an
special transformation given that Shaun was not all intimidating. He transforms
himself to so effectively become this stiff yet devoted man. This is even in
just the way he carries his expressions, as he fashions himself the iron jaw of
a proper action hero, even though Pegg lacks one, just through his performance.
Although perhaps less extreme, his work as Gary King is as impressive. This as
he evokes a bent youth in his "rebellious swagger". Pegg portrays
Gary as a man still walking down the hallways of a school just bearing the idea
that "I'm too cool for all of this". Pegg brilliantly creates a
grotesque quality in this as the same manner would be fitting for an 18 year old
but is a touch ill-fitting to a man who left school about 25 years ago.
It must be noted that in these comedies, Pegg delivers three
hilarious performances. Again, though the exact way of being hilarious isn't
exactly the same one again. Now to be sure the quality of Pegg's skill as a
comic performer is more than evident in each. A master of the reaction for
example. Take whether it his aghast reaction to a steel bar through a zombie
girl as Shaun, his reaction to the murder of Bill Shakespeare as Angel or
Gary's decapitating a legoesque humanoid on a john. Great reactions aside
though here again there is something unique in each comedic approach. In that
in Shaun we have that hapless any man which careful pseudo straight man is
leaning comic turn, against an excessively straight man as Angel and then a
completely extroverted wild man turn as Gary. Although all hold some the same
qualities within, that being Pegg is a great comic performer, but how he brings
these out in each is wonderfully unique. Pegg brings that normal man
performance so effectively within Shaun because he is so hilariously average as
a man reacting to the zombie apocalypse. In that he treats it with this just
enough clever levity such as his manner of so casually saying "oh there
they are" when checking outside for zombies. Pegg though is something else
entirely though in finding the humor in Angel's intensity, such as found in his
glares of death towards his fellow officers less than professional demeanor
when arriving in the small town he's been assigned to. This though is in
contrast to Pegg's broader take with Gary and his beautifully excessively
exuberant delivery when trying to convince his old school friends to engage in
his nostalgic pub crawl idea or his spirited rattling off of every pub name
when signing into their lodgings at their old hometown.
Although one should not hide the other constant in this
series other than Wright and Pegg, Nick Frost, well actually there's also Bill
Nighy and Julia Deakin, but anyways there's Frost. Frost being Pegg's Laurel to
his Hardy, his Carney to his Gleason. Although again another inspiration in
each film is how this dynamic is laid out for each. This being Frost playing a
different type as well for Pegg to play off of, whether it be the layabout, to
put it lightly, flatmate Ed in Shaun, the cop fanboy, PC Danny Butterman in
Fuzz or the businessman Andy of The World's End. Each with a separation in the
approach to where really the comedy from their interactions lie. This is in
Shaun we have frankly just some goofy fun in the way the two bring out the same
casual friendly quality in their zombie fighting expedition to a pub for
protection as they almost would just going to the pub. There they just have
this great naturalism of friends, and make so much fun of the simple act of the
two going through Shaun's record collection, carefully, to use against a pair
of zombies. The punctuate every moment so beautifully particularly Pegg's
disgusted "throw it" to the Batman soundtrack or his "I like
it" to another record choice. This shifted considerably in Fuzz where Frost
brings such an endearing naive energy of a man who has no right to be a cop,
meanwhile Pegg is the consistent hilarious straight man in his exasperated
glances and reactions to every question measured towards a true "super
cop". This is shifted far more though in The World's End where Frost is
essentially the straight man, as the straight laced Andy to the mess of the man
that is Gary, although their relationship is barely comedic in this one, though
this is not a criticism.
On that though it seems right to bring the turn about why
two of these films are so great, and why all three of these performances are
remarkable even past being three idiosyncratic humorous turns. This is as all
three succeed in far greater dramatic intentions which are weaved through the
sort of paradoxical sendoffs for the three genres. In Shaun we have our hero
treating the zombie apocalypse like a day in a life, which means seeking refuge
in his favorite pub. In Fuzz, the largescale criminal conspiracy merely
resides in a neighborhood watch doing everything in their power to win the
village of the year contest. Then in The World's End we have the discovery of
an alien invasion through old high school friends engaging in their nostalgic
pub crawl. That one I'll say is the weakest of the three in that regard since
it feels the most forced within the screenplay and does not work nearly as well
as the previous two versions. In each though this intertwined with Pegg's
journey as each. A journey that is often funny, as aforementioned, but goes
further than this. In Shaun we meet a man in a slight depression of existence
as he works in his dead end job, has tension with his mom due to his Step dad
Phil (Bill Nighy), has troubles with his other flatmate Pete due to Ed, and is
losing his girlfriend Liz due to his somewhat aimless existence. All comedic
setups however Pegg's performance has fun in its moments but does deliver in
offering an actual weight within the idea. In that he expresses the very real
heartbreak in his tear broken eyes after being dumped, and his distress when
being bluntly berated by Pete for his life choices. Angel's sort of dramatic
moments are perhaps fully integrated, rather than naturally segued, for the
most part by Pegg, as he makes the intensity the nature of the character which
manages to be both effective in the comedy while also providing the man's
difficult state of always being "on". The dramatic element is a
different matter with Pegg's Gary King, who puts on strong the idea of
irreverence in his manner, of course this is only the beginning of his journey
to whip together his old friends to live out their "glory days".
The journey of Shaun then is more than a series of many
enjoyable humorous takes on zombie situations, as through the zombie experience
Shaun must confront his life in a rather unusual way. This is as he must
attempt to win Liz back by saving her from the zombies. This not at all made
simple in Pegg's performance which brings the awkwardness but also sincerity of
his plan to hide away in his favorite pub. When he pleads to Liz, and her
flatmates, Pegg's performance is earnest, while not in any way sabotaging the
comedy. The real depth of this work though sneaks upon you and on repeated
viewings holds all the greater impact. An especially moving moment comes when
Shaun's stepdad, almost dead from being bitten, apologizes for their past
disagreements. Pegg's reaction is not blithe rather an honest reflection of
this moment of connection, making Phil's death rather moving albeit briefly due
to zombification and all. Each man's journey though is treated with the gravity
it deserves through Pegg's work. Now Angel's is a bit more subtle in a certain
sense, in that he essentially who just needs to lighten up, a little bit. This
is found mostly through his interactions with Frost's Danny where he slowly
lets him through his rough surface a bit. This adds more than humor to the
relationship and again the quality in this work is remarkable. This in that the
moment of Pegg's delivery of Angel's revealing his aspirations for the law has
a quiet tenderness, particularly as he portrays it as this small opening to a
man he's started to trust. I'll admit part of my reservations to the World's
End choice in tone comes in that Fuzz and Shaun are more effective in their
dramatic intentions overall while also being a whole lot funnier. This tone
though weighs less on Pegg's work which again is the most colorful turn in that
film. This where his dramatic moments are a hidden constant in Pegg's
performance, though only comes through occasionally throughout the film. In
that within his "full of life" rebellious manner, Pegg delivers an
innate desperation both in those comedy moments of how bad of an act it is, but
also in his delivery and eyes there is this need that suggests the concept is
far more than just a trip down memory lane for Gary. This is as at every turn
he continues the pub crawl, no matter how dire this situation, which Pegg
portrays as this painful need.
The arc of each man is unique in their exact trajectory
however there is an interesting similarity in their final state. This is almost
as each man must become their best self without really losing their self. In
Shaun's case he is man who must face every "demon" in his life all in
one zombie infested day. Take his somewhat toxic relationship with Ed, which
has the moment of rejecting his direct behavior by Shaun lashing at Ed for
taking a call while being locked out of the pub while being surrounded by
zombies. While a funny scene given the situation, Pegg's portrayal of Shaun's
outrage is terrific as he captures a proper pent up rage of a friend who had
given his friend too many outs. Then again, he brings the same passion in his
defense as he goes about trying to save Ed from a zombie Pete, still showing
his friendship if perhaps now a bit more measured. Shaun's life though is one
in finding maturity within himself, without losing his general affable manner.
This is pressed upon as through the process he must suffer his most intense
loss as he must not only watch his mother die, but also must have to kill her
in zombie form. Pegg is downright heartbreaking in each instance of not holding
back in the real pain of the grief in that moment then his haunted expression
as he must commit the coup de grace to truly put her to rest. The final then
connection with Liz and Ed, as they just barely survive has such a real poignancy
to it as Pegg quietly reveals a man who has learned much in this experience as
speaks of his love for both Liz, and in his own way Ed. Each with a moment of
understanding of Shaun as a man more fully formed, though still with an
appreciation for the fun of life. Although this is indeed a comic performance,
Pegg's performance does not make an aspect of it slight. Again, this is less of
an extreme with Angel, but this too should not be hand waved. This in keeping
the man still driven as he under covers the plot of the nefarious town watch
but now with a more direct concern. This perhaps best exemplified as pleads
with Danny to help him take down the neighborhood watch alliance. Pegg brings
that same conviction essentially to justice but with an openness as he looks
for support in his endeavor. This leading to the climax, which is mostly
comedic, yet also marvelous as Pegg shows a man essentially becoming a true
super cop, by basically having a little fun in his final fight. Pegg though
brings this eager ferocity brilliantly as he makes as part of this appreciation
for Danny, as the two of them take down the NWA through every action cliché in
the book. Angel still being a cop who gets things done, but now with the
ability to bring a bit of fun to it all. Gary's is again quite different yet
easily the most compelling element of his film. This is as Frost's Andy
confronts him about almost ignoring the alien invaders in order to stay on his
pub crawl. When this confrontation happens that seeded desperation of Pegg
comes to the surface and is quite devastating. This is as it is this release of
an awful revelation as the tear addled reckoning of a man who recognizes he's
wasted his life. Pegg's delivery of Gary's recognition that his life never got
better past high school is this truly harrowing expression of a man
understanding he wasted his life. This isn’t the climax though where again
Gary's transformation isn't a 180 either. This as he confronts the alien
entity, who offers the temptation of youth. Pegg is however amazing in this
scene, even as it is a shift back mostly to comedy in his spirited defense of
humanity and in turn his own faults as he rejects the alien's offer of
"perfection". His statement of being the only Gary King being with a
founded pride within Pegg's eyes in at least being himself more than anything.
This leads to the somewhat sloppy finale; however, I'll defend Gary's ending as
a natural fit to the cornetto "hero". Again, Gary is very much
himself in the final scene, a man rebelling against society, however now somber
and with purpose. Pegg's portrayal carrying that same swagger but now lacking
that misery hidden within the act. I must admit looking upon all three of these
performances in short order only made me appreciate them more. This is as all
three work both as great comic turns but deliver far more emotional potency
than intentionally dramatic turns. This in granting a real nuance and detail to
their emotional journeys, while also consistently delivering comic gold. Pegg
shows his range with each as all three characters are distinct creations, with
their own experiences, with the consistency being Pegg's talent is behind each
granting three exceptional turns that go far beyond their "slight"
expectations.
