Ballsy, Brassy And Full Of Energy, 28 Apr 2005
- By:
Shirley Yanez
A totem of two women's struggle to do something worthwhile in life, it certainly knows how to serve up endless comical observations. This is what comedy is supposed to be. The delivery, too, is polished, every line, every joke, enhancing the material, making for a thoroughly enjoyable read. The women and their breathless brand of glamorous, gossipy, camp, snobby, self-deprecating, fast-paced banter is second to none but it is the delivery that sells this story, as this story, is a reality they live every day. This out of the box, true tawdry tale, brags an A list celebrity cast of characters for real but the side splitting comedy is served up at the expense of two unknown likely lasses from the North of England. Two fatal mistakes, namely the jailers, an anonymous pair of devastatingly handsome Latino American brothers, natives of Los Angeles and the two Brits find themselves trapped in Hollywood where the water list is more extensive than the wine list, smoking is a hanging offence and cheese can only be found between the athletes foot infested toes of every all American wannabe. Written in the third person, it gives a voyeuristic peak into the rarely told but more frequently experienced Hollywood; that is, if you’re a nobody. It makes for an interesting, intriguing read that stretches beyond every page with breathlessly entertaining yarns. This straightforwardly funny, captivatingly offbeat, full blown, quirky page-turner leaves the reader in stitches. Humor is something we could all use more of in our lives, especially the kind of British satire found on every page within the four chapters of this little pink treasure. One liners galore, the idiots, the arrogant Hollywood agents, the ladies of loose virtues, the self centered celebrity and on and on. A candid display of so many of Hollywood’s characters is the magic formula that makes this book, an all time favorite, wittiest, funniest laugh out loud tale of true passion, persistence and probably to much pot smoking. It’s a memoir, a travel guide, a “how to” Hollywood and an unorthodox, read between the lines, attack on ego Freud would be proud of but most of all it’s an enchanting and captivating rollercoaster ride with two people who live each day as if it were their last, in the front seat. Sometimes the irreverent sarcasm is overstated and sometimes it hits you in the face but you will laugh from the second you pick it up to the moment you put it down.
