Film Talk: Looking Back – Hitting the catwalk with Zoolander

Directed by and starring Ben Stiller, 2001’s Zoolander follows the hilarious journey of a dim-witted male model who, while coming to terms with the decline of his career, is brain washed to assassinate a foreign dignitary (some sentences, you just never quite thought you’d write...).

A tongue-in-cheek portrayal of the cut-throat and high-powered world of fashion, the flick in fact contains elements from a pair of short films directed by Russell Bates and written by Drake Sather and Stiller for the VH1 Fashion Awards television specials in 1996 and 1997. The name of Stiller’s character, the titular Derek Zoolander, was invented by Bates while he was editing the first short film, and was inspired by the names of two male models who both worked for Calvin Klein – Dutchman Mark Vanderloo and the American Johnny Zander.

A somewhat provocative satire on the fashion world, Zoolander would be brought to life by an all-star cast that also included Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell and Christine Taylor, with cameos from David Bowie and Billy Zane. But would audiences (and, of course, the fashion community) buy in to this bear-poke of a powerful industry?..

Long-established male supermodel Derek Zoolander (Stiller) is shocked to the core when he loses out on the Male Model of the Year award to newcomer Hansel (Wilson). While contemplating the end of his career, Derek is offered a surprise lifeline by fashion designer Jacobim Mugatu (Ferrell), who gives him the opportunity to be the face of his new clothing line. However, the scheming Mugatu is planning to assassinate the Malaysian Prime Minister so that cheap child labour remains available, and he's going to use a brainwashed Derek to do it. Suspicion has been arising in journalist Matilda (Taylor), but even with the help of an unlikely ally, will she be able to stop Derek and save both the Malaysian Prime Minister and male modelling itself?

A box office success, Zoolander grossed a worldwide total of $60.8 million against a budget of $28 million. Met with generally favourable reviews at the time, in the years since its release the flick has garnered a strong cult following and has stood the test of time in terms of its humour and likeability.

Throughout the film, the chemistry of real-life compadres Stiller and Wilson shines through, giving their rival characters a hilarious and believable friction to their relationship.

With strong supporting performances from Ferrell and Taylor, Zoolander is in fact a very clever comedy in that while touching on a number of important political and even humanitarian issues, it does so without belittling them yet retains its light tone.

Unfortunately, the film’s direct sequel, 2016’s Zoolander No.2, did not quite retain the magic of the original, yet the 2001 classic remains as watchable and ridiculously good looking today as it ever was.