glamour (ˈɡlamər)
1. an attractive or exciting quality
that makes certain people or things seem appealing.
2. enchantment; magic.
2. enchantment; magic.
When I was in college, a friend (a beauty in her own right) said to me, “Do you wanna see my Charlie’s Angels impression?” I said okay. So, she proceeded to walk a few feet away, fluffing her hair as she did. She then bowed, flipped her hair, provocatively ran towards an imagined baddie in front of me, pointing her imagined firearm at him, screaming, “Freeze!” And, of course, her hair fell in all the right places as she held that final pose which would have been perfect for the pages of Vogue magazine. And that is the essence of Charlie’s Angels. And that’s what’s sadly missing in this latest iteration of Charlie’s Angels.
Charlie's Angels circa 2019
But don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the film. The casting is perfect. The women are so varied and so interesting, I just want to get to know them and their back stories. I love their group dynamic. Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Balinska and Elizabeth Banks mesh really well together. They’re so much fun to watch (There are a lot of funny little snippets and side comments throughout the film.) I love the plot. The story is convoluted enough to keep viewers interested (Hey, Charlie’s Angels was never meant to be Shakespeare) and presented in a way that’s easy to follow. The action scenes are probably some of the best in the franchise. They’re gritty, heart-pounding at times and, of course, Angels-style spectacular. All in all, it’s a great film. But it lacks the key element that makes Charlie’s Angels Charlie’s Angels - the element of glamour.
The original Charlie's Angels, 1976 to 1981
Ever since the franchise debuted on the small screen in 1976, glamour had always been a huge part of it. The very pretty Kate Jackson was the brains of the legendary original trio (she was never into fashion); while Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith were the glamazons. And they weren’t just glamorous because of the clothes they wore. It was the way they wore them, the way they moved in them while doing tasks previously relegated to the menfolk. They did them with a feminine twist, with a touch of glamour (every gay man’s dream, I must point it out). Replacement Angels Cheryl Ladd, Shelley Hack and Tanya Roberts didn’t disappoint either as they exuded the same vibe themselves. Watching the Angels glamorously going through file cabinets, glamorously stalking baddies or glamorously strutting down an alley somehow kept viewers interested. A flip of their perfectly coiffed hair, a leg showing though a slit in their Norman Miller gowns … It was an hour-long glam-fest. It was like the Bond Girls became James Bond himself.
The Charlie's Angels 2000 and 2003 movies
and Charlie's Angels 2011
The 2000 and 2003 movies with Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Demi Moore utilized this element to full effect as well. Who can forget Cameron restraining a baddie with her fabulous stiletto-heeled boot (at the end of her mile-long gams)? Or Drew and Lucy running down a stairwell, ditching their wigs and gowns along the way and looking absolutely perfect by the last step? Or Lucy coming out of a crate in an up-to-the-minute all-black number and a hair flip? Or even Demi jumping off the top of the Griffith Observatory and landing feet first in her Christian Louboutins? These Angels were coiffed, primed, designer-decked and ready to run in slow motion with their hair flying in the wind but landing perfectly in place as they apprehended the bad guy. Now that’s big screen glamour.
The 2011 TV reboot actually had this element in droves. Annie Ilonzeh, Rachael Taylor, Minka Kelly and Nadine Velasquez were glammed to the max. But what was missing in this version were scenes depicting the depth of friendship between the girls, scenes exhibiting the rapport between them; hence, it’s quick demise.
Charlie's Angels circa 2019
But Charlie’s Angels 2019 has that rapport thing in droves. In fact, the Angels’ journey from being strangers to becoming a tight-knit team is one of the best things in the movie. Kristin’s off-center personality, Ella’s stringent military discipline and Naomi’s hilarious naiveté was so much fun to watch. They have that one down to a T. It’s the glam factor that’s missing, scenes that showcase the stunning beauty and allure of each Angel, scenes that make viewers go wow, scenes where the girls flip their hair and alluringly display their femininity, scenes where they’re magical and enchanting.
But it’s not too late. Now that the rapport between the three leads has been established, a sequel sounds very interesting. With the three now officially an Angel team, it would be fun to see how and where their story goes. With a touch of glamour, this iteration too can become legendary.
