Snow White & the Huntsman

Snow White is the current princess du jour, enjoying quite the resurgence in popularity with no less than three wildly varied incarnations within the last year -- as a central character in the television show Once Upon a Time and in the family-friendly flick Mirror Mirror, the latter released just a scant three months ago. Snow White & the Huntsman is the latest big-screen incarnation, and from the previews it promised to be a dark and twisty take on the familiar story, with an epic feel more akin to Lord of the Rings than the classic Disney animated film. It succeeds...to a point. To be clear, I really liked this film, but that does not mean I was immune to its many (MANY) issues. So let's discuss. :) This is apt to be LONG...

The film opens with the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) as storyteller, sharing Snow White's story and how her kingdom fell under the power of a charismatic evil queen. (I COULD LISTEN TO CHRIS HEMSWORTH ALL DAY.) The opening scene promises a tale surprisingly in-step with the story's Brothers Grimm roots -- a beautiful queen (Liberty Ross), longing for a child, comes upon a brilliant red rose blooming in defiance of winter's cold. Pricking her finger on a thorn, three drops of blood fall to the snow, a stark visual contrast that prompts her to wish for a child with skin as white as snow, lips red as blood, and hair as black as a raven's wing -- and this is key -- a spirit akin to the rose's defiance and strength in blooming in the dead of winter.

In time a daughter is born to the queen and her husband, King Magnus (Noah Huntley -- the older Peter in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe!), and christened Snow White (Raffey Cassidy), as physically she embodies the beauty her mother wished for prior to her birth. But more than outward beauty, Snow's mother never fails to remind her daughter that true beauty comes from within, and that is her greatest strength. But Snow's happy childhood is doomed to fail, no more playing weird games with apples with William (Xavier Atkins), her best friend and son of Duke Hammond (Vincent Regan -- Wallander, Miss Marple, Inspector Lewis, ShakespeaRe-Told), her father's closest advisor. Snow's mother dies and her father goes COMPLETELY off the rails. Conveniently the king's resulting death wish coincides with an invasion of dark knights who happen to be MADE OF GLASS, and let me tell you watching them shatter is absolutely mesmerizing. Following his disturbing easy victory, Magnus comes upon a prison wagon holding a beautiful woman named Ravenna (Charlize Theron) and is instantly smitten. Her golden hair and clothes are the complete opposite of the dark knights, so OF COURSE SHE'S A VICTIM, right?! (Let's not think about why she would be the only human in a sea of glass warriors, whatevs...) Magnus carries her off to the castle and makes plans to marry her THE NEXT DAY, because WHY WAIT, that would make sense. Silly man.

The wedding night does not go well for Magnus, as to be expected. Ravenna is no victim, she's the sorceress who used the dark knights to gain entry to the castle -- and does she ever have issues with men and power. This dichotomy between Snow and Ravenna is one of the film's most interesting points -- Snow, raised with the understanding that true beauty and strength comes from purity of heart, while Ravenna (as it is revealed later in flashback) bears the mark of her mother's conviction that beauty is her only power, a weapon to be used to avenge her mother's death and to crush her enemies. But such a curse is not without  a failsafe -- by Ravenna's fairest (innocent) blood the spell was cast, but by fairest blood it can be undone.

On that fateful wedding night, Ravenna siezes control of the kingdom and imprisons Snow, the girl's only allies -- William and his father -- barely escaping with their lives. Now I'm not entirely sure how much time is supposed to have passed (if it's mentioned in the film I can't recall) -- in the novelization it's ten years, but on the film's Wikipedia page it's fifteen -- but either way, Snow is now of age and is played by Kristen Stewart, who is wisely given very little dialogue. And here's where things start to get interesting...

Charlize Theron as Ravenna OWNS this film. Her evil queen is by far the scariest, most intense, mesmerizing incarnation of the legendary villain to every grace the screen (or my imagination for that matter). Her icy blonde beauty is the perfect foil for Snow's darker looks, and the intensity she brings to bear on this role is just incredible -- screaming, bodily thrashing around, she throws herself into this role heart and soul. That said, I wish -- oh, how I wish -- the film gave Ravenna's character more context. It isn't revealed until over halfway through the picture the source of Ravenna's power, and that is only in a hazy flashback sequence. I wanted to see what brought Ravenna to Snow's kingdom, what set her on the course to become a power-hungry queen. And perhaps most ofa ll -- who was responsible for the attack on her family that led to her mother's "gift" of the spell that would ultimately become her daughter's destruction? The idea, the set-up, of physical beauty as a weapon versus beauty and strength of spirit is nicely meted out throughout the film, but I was left wanting -- there's a lot of promise in the "twists" this incarnation of the familiar story brings to life, but all too often the development of potentially fascinating plot points are left under-developed.

So Ravenna's power is waning because Snow has finally "come of age." No longer content with consuming the youth of captured young women (I thought this was just a brilliant twist on the queen's desire to remain "the fairest one of all"), her mirror -- played by Christopher Obi (seriously, the molten mirror? AMAZING) -- advises her to consume the heart of Snow, her primary rival, and in doing so promises her immortality. Ravenna sends her brother Finn (Simon Spruell), a completely disgusting creep, to bring Snow's heart to her. (Was it just me, or did Ravenna and Finn's relationship have some disturbingly incestuous overtones? ICK.) When Finn enters her cell (and is COMPLETELY GROSS), Snow siezes her chance and slashes him with a nail, escaping her cell and barely escaping the castle with her life.

This is where Snow kind of goes off the rails a bit -- she shows little ill effects from her imprisonment. She has a surprising amount of stamina and apparently no negative psychological impact from being locked up by a psycho since she was a small child. Thanks to a conveniently available horse she makes it to the Dark Forest, a.k.a. the point of no return. Now the forest in the Disney film terrified me as a child, and I loved how the filmmakers took that concept and ran with it -- the menacing trees with their groping branches, the idea of hallucinogenic pollen increasing the terrifying visions, the concept of the forest feeding on one's fear -- all of that brilliantly played out on-screen. Indeed it is a mark of one of the film's greatest assests -- it's world-building and set design. This is a movie you can lose yourself in quite literally, and I was happy to do so for two hours. :)

With her prey loose in the forest, Ravenna requires a hunter with nothing to lose -- and enter the Huntsman, the other best part of this film when it comes to acting. I could write PAGES on Hemsworth's performance. It's riddled with angst (love me some angst!) and self-loathing -- the Huntsman is a man in need of redemption, in need of a cause, and as such he was responsible for the greatest part of my emotional investment in this film (really, this just should've been a movie about Ravenna and the Huntsman...who needs Snow? LOL). The Huntsman is all for delivering Snow to Ravenna until he meets Snow in the Dark Forest and is -- what? impressed by her desperation to live? Unaware of the value of his charge's identity, the Huntsman takes Snow to a nearby village, claiming all he wants is a monetary reward...but oh Chris, we know your type...you are not as far gone as you'd like everyone to think. *wink*

Now, prior to this film's release, thanks to the trailers and reading various summaries online, I fully expected a lot of screentime to be given to a teacher/student relationship between Snow and the Huntsman -- I was under the impression she would transform into a "warrior queen" under his tutelage. Well unless I missed something, the Huntsman teaches Snow one (1) defensive move, and by the end of the movie she is wearing armor and leading men into battle. *rollseyes* The script instead spends far too much time (especially once Snow meets the dwarves) developing this rather silly idea that she is some sort of healing, mystical savior -- there is NO context for this savior complex, it is just a given thanks to dwarf Muir's (Bob Hoskins) apparent power as a seer. I'm sorry but Kristen Stewart has the charisma of a two-by-four, I cannot buy her as a savior or warrior queen at all. She works fairly well as Snow White when she doesn't say anything, but even then that gets a bit nuts because she's mum when you expect dialogue (i.e. the concluding scene) and ridiculous when she talks (ie. the "rally the troops" speech).

So, let's try to wrap this up. INTERESTING CAST MEMBERS -- the dwarves are brought to life by a score of familiar faces. There's the aforementioned Hoskins, joined by Ian McShane (Beith), Ray Winstone (Gort), Eddie Marsan (Duir), and Toby Jones (Coll), to name a few. I confess that after a single viewing I was left rather lukewarm by the dwarves' appearance -- I enjoyed seeing the familiar faces, but was annoyed by their use as a vehicle for driving home the idea of Snow-as-savior. I wish they'd (like all the characters in this film) had been a bit better realized script-wise. I was thrilled to see Rachael Stirling as Anna, one of the women Snow and the Huntsman encounter in the village at the edge of the forest. Anna is the one who reveals Snow's true identity to the Huntsman, and she brings this tragic sort of gravitas to the role - it was espeically heart-breaking to listen to her explain how the women of her village voluntarily scar themselves in order to escape Ravenna's search for "consumable" beauty and youth. I've been impressed by Stirling's appearances in The Young Victoria, Inspector Lewis, and Miss Marple, and look forward to seeing more of her work in the future.

The adult William is played by Sam Clafin, of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides fame, doing a lovely Robin Hood/Hawkeye impression with his bow & arrows (seriously, what IS it about archers on film lately? LOVE IT). I loved William's loyalty to Snow White, the way he goes undercover with Finn's men in order to find her, but oh how I wish he had a more charismatic leading lady to work with. OH WELL. *sigh* I was fascinated by the script's twist on the famous apple scene, and how it involved one of Snow's oldest friends -- seeing William offer Snow the apple, then realize Ravenna adopted his form, and watching her transform -- that was really well-done. Also of interest is the famous kiss, and that it is not William, whom we expect to wake Snow, that delivers it...

It is the Huntsman's kiss that wakes Snow White from the poison apple-induced slumber. From talking with a few friends I gather many viewers would prefer Snow to end up with William -- but the Huntsman's kiss certainly points in another direction (will be VERY interesting to see how these relationships play out in the sequel). Leaving aside the fact for the moment that I think both the Huntsman and William deserve other leading ladies -- working with what we're given I love the idea of Snow White and the Huntsman as a twist on the traditional princess ending up with a prince fairy tale trope. Hemsworth's delivery of the Huntsman's apology for not protecting Snow is just heart-rending, saturated in regret and "what-ifs." In principle, if not in execution, I loved the concept of Snow White making the Huntsman a better man, of two individuals from such disparate backgrounds complementing each other. I want my revised and refreshed fairy tales to have twists like this -- and having Hemsworth fill half of that equation, well that goes a long way in my book. :)

Lest you think I didn't like this film, rest assured that I did -- but there was so much unrealized potential that I couldn't help but over-analyze. *wink* (I'm actually thinking about seeing it in theaters again.) I'm not holding my breath, but if the planned sequel materializes, with more attention to story and character development, married with this film's stunning visuals and costume design (seriously, Colleen Atwood had BETTER get an Oscar nomination for her amazing work), there's a lot of potential here. I love the Huntsman character and the suggestion that he is perhaps the princess's best match -- and with the ambiguity of this film's ending, I'm VERY curious to see how this love triangle of sorts is further addressed in any sequel(s).

All things told, I'm pleased with Rupert Sanders' directorial debut. He's crafted a stunning world here, one that holds great promise for future projects. Composer James Newton Howard also delivers a score with some memorable cues -- it isn't my favorite work by the prolific composer, but it gets the job done. And if a stronger script is delivered for the sequel, I may be able to further overcome my antipathy towards Stewart as a leading lady. *wink* In any case, Hemsworth and Clafin win the day. :)

Let's end this with just ONE MORE Huntsman picture, because I really feel you can never have too many:

The Hunger Games

I took the afternoon off today and finally went to see The Hunger Games. After finishing the novel (my review), I wasn't quite ready to rush to the theater -- I needed to "sit" on the story for a few days. I'm glad I waited -- this movie was a powerful book-to-screen adaptation, probably one of the best -- in that it is so faithful to the source material -- adaptations that I've ever seen. I suppose that is what you get when the author has a background in screenwriting and helps craft the screenplay (WIN). I'm not interested in rehashing the plot -- if you're unfamiliar with that you can check out my review. But there are points that I want to discuss, so let's go...

First of all, I LOVED the look of District 12. It's described as what once was Appalachia, remote, mountain living -- but Collins's prose is so terse, so matter-of-fact not a lot of time is spent dwelling on Katniss's home (it's just taken as a matter of fact). In the world of the film, District 12 is very Depression-era Appalachia, a bleak, rough existence. Evoking the feel of 1930s-era history is brilliant, a perfect fit for the hardscrabble, coal-mining existence that Katniss hails from. And when we're introduced to the gaudy, colorful world of the Capitol, the differences are so stark as to be horribly jarring. The line of demarcation between the haves of the Capitol and the have nots of District 12 was almost nauseating in a way.

I was incredibly impressed with Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. I've only seen her previously in X-Men: First Class (where she played the young Mystique). At only twenty-one, Lawrence has an assurance and screen presence far beyond her years. In the novel we have the luxury of being completely immersed in Katniss's thoughts and feelings, thanks to the first-person narration. I found Lawrence to be more than up for the challenge of conveying the full scope of Katniss's emotions -- her determination, fear, uncertainty, and anger. And I love the fact that she isn't your typical stick-thin starlet. Physically she was completely believe able for me -- this was a girl at home in the woods, a huntress. Lawrence can be a very expressive actress, and at her age, with the screen presence she has now -- wow, talk about a bright future.

I should probably mention Gale (Liam Hemsworth). Now I've only read the first book, so I don't even understand how there can be such a thing as "Team Gale." So for a character I was already relatively ambiguous about, Hemsworth got the job done. Though I have to say it was rather jarring seeing him without his trademark blonde hair. Oh, one development I did like as far as Gale goes in this film is that we see his troubled reaction to watching the Katniss/Peeta relationship play out during the games, something not possible in the novel.

Now that I've got that Gale person out of the way, I can talk about Peeta. I was a little concerned based on the brief glimpses of Peeta in the previews that Josh Hutcherson would come across as a little too...wooden, I think is the word I'm looking for. I was pleasantly surprised to have my fears proven groundless. Through his performance, Hutcherson grows Peeta from the baker's son, almost shell-shocked at being chosen during the Reaping, to a charismatic, engaging and most importantly, in love, youth on the verge of losing the girl he loves to the Games. I've read several reviews that feel the Katniss/Peeta screen relationship was lacking. Now while I would've always loved to see more of their slow-burning relationship, what we're given on-screen worked extraordinarily well for me. The film allows us to see Katniss's gradually dawning realization that for some reason beyond her comprehension, particularly in the context of the horrible situation they're in, Peeta matters. And Peeta quite frankly adores her, a fact that Hutcherson conveys extraordinarily well.

District 12's Games organizer is the garish Effie Banks, and Elizabeth Banks does a terrific job portraying all of her absurd extremes. And her clothes -- oh they were fantastically realized. I love love loved Lenny Kravitz as the designer Cinna (gold eyeliner and all). He was grounded, as compassionate as can be given the situation -- I was quite happy with the film's delivery of the Cinna/Katniss friendship. And his costumes were extraordinary -- girl on fire, indeed. But even more interesting to me, though, was Woody Harrelson's performance as 12's sole previous victor, the drunken Haymitch. I really liked Harrelson's performance -- in the novel, Katniss is frustrated or hostile to Haymitch much of the time, so I had a hard time getting a good sense of his character, his thoughts and perspective. And Harrelson riddles Haymitch with self-loathing, a quality he gradually puts aside as the realization that he might actually be able to save Katniss and Peeta penetrates his alcohol-clouded brain. At least that's how it hit me.

EDIT: I can't believe I forgot to mention Stanley Tucci's performance as Caesar Flickerman, the interviewer and Games commentator. His mannerisms, his blue hair -- oh he was hilarious, and pretty much pitch-perfect for the role. The periodic commentary he shared with Toby Jones as Claudius Templesmith was yet another way the filmmakers took the narrative outside of Katniss's head and let us see the Games from the outside in, as it were.

Witnessing Haymitch's behind-the-scenes efforts on behalf of his tributes was one of the "added" scenes in the film, things Katniss could never know because she was locked in the arena. Frankly I thought peeking "behind the curtain" into the making and running of the Games was really pretty fascinating, and for me it succeeded in making the awful horror of the event more impactful, because of the clinical, calculated manner in which the Games are staged. Since I have yet to read Catching Fire, without giving away too many spoilers is the Gamemaker Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley -- WHAT A BEARD) introduced? I can't remember him being mentioned by name at all. Anyways -- I thought Crane's added scenes with President Snow (Donald Sutherland) were really well-done, particularly his realization at the end of the film that he isn't above being a pawn in the Capitol's plans any more than tributes. I also assume that Snow becomes a much bigger player in the second and third novels -- thanks to Sutherland's performance I already hate him. Sutherland was chilling.

I've touched on the development of the Peeta/Katniss relationship in the arena. The second most important event, to my mind anyway, is Katniss's friendship with the District 11 girl tribute Rue (Amandla Stenberg). Stenberg was SO GOOD, the ideal actress to bring Rue's vulnerability to life. Stenberg and Lawrence's scenes broke my heart, particularly her death and Katniss's reaction -- Lawrence's grief was wholly believable and gut-wrenching. Question, to those who've read the books -- is it revealed that Katniss's care for Rue after her death sparks a riot in District 11? Irregardless I thought that was a powerful scene to include in the film, in how it suggests that Katniss (and later Peeta) fan the flames of discontent in the districts.

At the moment I really can't think of another film that was guaranteed blockbuster status that was filmed without much of the gloss and glamour you expect from Hollywood. Director Gary Ross and his team have imbued every aspect of this film with a sense of gritty realism and authenticity, helped by a lot of handheld camera work that adds urgency and energy to sequences, visually mimicking Collins's high-energy prose. Even the film's score (provided by James Newton Howard) eschews the tendency of blockbusters-in-the-making to go for loud and bombastic. The cues evoking the mountainous, folk music traditions of Katniss's home are gorgeous, a stark contrast to the dangers facing her and Peeta in the arena. Like the novel, watching The Hunger Games is an unsettling experience -- I think the film hit me even a tick harder than the  book did, which I thought was an interesting and honestly somewhat unexpected reaction. It isn't the level of violence -- that's certainly there, but honestly there could have been more, all things considered. I think being outside of Katniss's head, seeing her in this unfathomable situation, seeing the people gleefully betting on a tribute's odds in the Capitol, seeing the Gamemaker's employees clinically raining horror down on the heads of survivors in the arena -- seeing all of this drove home the novel's ripping condemnation of our voyeuristic, desensitized society in a fresh, powerful manner.

The Hunger Games is really an extraordinarily well-done adaptation, a prime example, I think, of thoughtful filmmaking. This is a team that cares about the source material, and I dearly hope they carry this passion through to the sequels. I feel like this post only touches on what I could say about this film, what worked, what was changed -- but that would require more thought (and most likely additional viewings). However, if there's anything I haven't touched on (I try so hard to be thorough, ha!) that you'd like to try and discuss please feel free to mention that in the comments.

Water for Elephants

I went to see Water for Elephants yesterday with my friend Leah, and oh my word I loved it. I've never read the novel by Sara Gruen, so I have nothing with which to compare the film. However, I have to confess I have a little-known love affair with circus films, which is probably weird since I've never attended a show. Now, I was never all that fond of Dumbo (too sad), but growing up I couldn't get enough the romance of Billy Rose's Jumbo, the melodrama of Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth, or the high-flying theatricality of Trapeze. Couple a circus story with delicious 1930s sets and costumes? I'm so there. So obviously, I was already predisposed to liking this film. Now a little bit about the story for the uninitiated...

Jacob Jankowski, the only son of Polish immigrants, is on the verge of graduating with a degree in veterinary medicine when his career is derailed by the tragic death of both parents in an auto accident. When the bank forecloses on the family home (a casualty of the Depression), he takes to the road and joins the Benzini Brothers Circus, run by August, a temperamental man prone to wild fits of anger and dangerously dark moods. August is married to the show's star attraction, the incandescentally beautiful Marlena, a talented bareback rider. With the country deep in the throes of the Great Depression, the Benzini Bros. is barely getting by. August sinks all of his hopes in the acquisition of Rosie the elephant, and he'll do anything to get ahead - and I mean anything. When Jacob does the unthinkable - falls in love with Marlena and offers her a better life - August is furious, and his rage-fueled quest for vengeance threatens not only Jacob and Marlena, but the survival of the entire circus.

The film opens with an elderly Jacob, played by a wonderfully heart-wrenching Hal Holbrook, having left his nursing home to visit a traveling circus nearby. There he meets Charlie (Paul Schneider), who expresses interest in Jacob's story when he learns that Jacob was a first-hand witness to the Benzini Brothers Circus disaster of 1931. And so begins our trip down memory lane, experiencing the life-changing year that birthed Jacob's bond with the circus culture and changed the course of his life. I really loved how the film frames the story with the elderly Jacob's reminscences. There is something so incredibly poignant about the way Holbrook plays the scene, the way his face comes so alive when he finds someone interested in his story. It is a powerful reminder of the beauty of listening and the power of story, no?

I was really worried about the fact that Robert Pattinson, the face of (gag me, I'm sorry I can't take it) the Twilight movies, was anchoring this film as the young Jacob. People, I am here to tell you this movie gives me hope that one day Pattinson with be able to overcome the vampire stigma on his career. I'm not willing to say he was great, but he carried off the period piece aspect of the drama MUCH better and more believably than I expected, and he did a creditable job standing up to the star power of Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz, which is no small feat. By the time the climax of the film hits, I really bought Pattinson's emotional involvement in Jacob's character and experiences, to his everlasting credit.

I just love Reese Witherspoon, and I cannot imagine an actress more perfect for the role of Marlena than her. She has the perfect personality and look to convincingly play a 1930s-era woman - in every scene I was struck over and over again by how well she fit within the world of this film. Obviously she was born to wear fabulous 1930s-era clothes (even the over-the-top performance costumes!). Witherspoon brings just the right balance of strength and vulnerability to the role of Marlena. To Marlena's credit, she remains faithful to her marriage much longer than many people would expect, given the abuse she regularly endures at August's hands. Over and over she's the victim of his violently changeable moods, and over and over again she steps into the proverbial lion's den in an attempt to calm him. While I can't condone the fact that Marlena and Jacob end up sleeping together while she's still married to her ass of a husband, I do appreciate the fact that this was not an act easily arrived at - over and over again Jacob and Marlena step back and strive to do the right thing, to not act on their mutual attraction. And surprisingly, I actually found myself buying Witherspoon and Pattinson as an on-screen couple. Especially by the end of the film - Jacob grows up a lot over the course of this movie, and I feel like Pattinson allowed his acting to convey that really quite well. One of his best moments comes when he tells Marlena he wants her to have a better life, with or without him - I loved that he was willing to sacrifice his happiness at that point for hers, whatever the decision she chose to make.

I'm not familiar with the work of Christoph Waltz, but I'd be hard-pressed to think of the last time I was so riveted by an actor's performance. August is an absolutely appalling character, but Waltz is so magnetic, he owns the screen in every single one of his scenes. It's an unsettling experience, being so riveted by such a menacing character. Even when August is in one of his affable, friendly moods, Waltz gives the character an edge, so you are always cognizant of the threat that at any moment, uncontrollable rage could burst to the surface and tip him over the edge into madness. Based on this performance, I'm looking forward to (hopefully) Waltz giving us a suitably menacing Cardinal Richelieu in the upcoming The Three Musketeers film this fall.

From what I've read about Gruen's novel, it pulls no punches in its dark and gritty portrayal of the hardships of Depression-era circus life. I would argue that the film does a stunning job accomplishing the same goal. The circus life Jacob discovers is squalid, filthy, and brutal, but somehow from these unlikely, broken pieces, the performers and roustabouts make magic happen under the big top. I loved the performance scenes, where the film allows us to see the reaction of the audience - for a Depression-era crowd, the circus was a fantastic escape from reality, and the wonder and joy on the faces of the adults and children in the audience is heart-wrenching to behold.

The "grunts" that make the circus magic possible lived an unbelievably hard-scrabble life. One reads in history books about the habit of hobos "riding the rails" from town to town, looking for work. But I'd never heard, or imagined, the dangers such transient workers faced when working for a circus like the Benzini Brothers. Workers are fired by being "redlighted" - thrown off a moving train. If you lived, you were lucky, and with August running the show, if he took a dislike to you every effort was made to decrease your chances of surviving the fall. The circus world dangerous high-wire act for Jacob to navigate - he's drawn to befriend and defend the weakest in the troupe, often to his own peril. 

As an animal lover, one of the most difficult things to witness in this movie was the multiple instances of animal abuse, and the generally harsh conditions in which the menagerie of circus animals lived. The contrast between August's brutal strong-arm tactics and Jacob's gentle, educated perspective is riveting to see play out on-screen. And though the worst of the abuse that Rosie the elephant endures occurs off-screen, it brought tears to my eyes. She is such a magnificent, gentle creature, it's difficult to fathom how only Jacob and Marlena can see and appreciate her glorious existence. (I have got to say, though, could it be any more obvious a plot twist that Rosie ONLY UNDERSTANDS POLISH?!)

I'm a huge film score fan, and James Newton Howard delivers a lush, romantic score for Water for Elephants. He captures the magic, energy, and romance of the film beautifully. The score is complemented by the judicious use of a few period songs, such as "I Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl," performed by Bessie Smith from 1931 and "Button Up Your Overcoat," performed by Ruth Etting from 1929. Period songs just add additional authenticity to the whole feel of the film. And I have to believe that this film will receive multiple Oscar nominations come next year's awards season for its gorgeous costumes and sets (at least!). The look and feel of this movie is an absolute triumph - it's so gritty, and down-to-earth, and real, but at the same time completely magical, that I would've been wholly absorbed by the world of the film alone even if a compelling story was absent. Francis Lawrence serves as director, and he keeps the pace of the film brisk, each shot gorgeously realized and expertly building toward the legendary disaster that destroyed the Benzini circus. I'm doubly impressed with the skillful directing considering that most of Lawrence's credits appear to be for music videos, which was an unexpected background to say the least - he's definitely someone to watch.

I expected to like this movie, but I didn't expect to get so caught up in the story, to fall so in love with the world of the movie and the characters' lives. This is a story about a life well-lived, and living life to the fullest - about overcoming and the beauty to be found in the midst of hardship and strife. I absolutely loved the fact that the older Jacob gets to close out the film and serve as its emotional anchor, if you will. Holbrook exudes a palpable frustration at being old, because in his mind he's every bit as active as when he first joined the circus, every bit as in love with Marlena and the life they built together that now exists only in his memories. But oh, what a memory. Jacob could easily be an embittered old man - his children aren't there for him as one might hope, and he could focus on the loss - but instead of that he remains thankful for the life he's lived, determined to continue living it to the fullest for as long as he's able. Water for Elephants is a gorgeous, compelling piece of cinema and I can't wait to see it again.

If you've read the novel and seen the movie, or just seen the movie (*grin*), I'd love to hear your thoughts!

For another take on the film, check out Charity's review.

The Tourist

Ya'll know me, I simply cannot resist a good spy/caper flick. And 2010 has certainly delivered more than the normal share of caper-themed films (Knight and Day and Red were winners, while Killers fell far short of the mark). Happily, The Tourist falls into the winner category. I came *thisclose* to passing on seeing this one in theaters, but I just couldn't resist 1) Johnny Depp and 2) the gorgeous European settings, which reminded me of Charade and To Catch a Thief. In fact, The Tourist feels like it is very deliberately constructed with a "throwback" feel to it, reminding me of the days in classic Hollywood when gorgeous guys like Cary Grant would cross paths with femme fatales like Eva Marie Saint on cross-country trips (The Tourist will really make you want to rewatch North by Northwest, if you're at all wired like me *wink*). Seriously, is there anything more romantic than trains in movies?!

Anyways, if you've seen the film's trailer you have a pretty good idea of the storyline. Angelina Jolie plays Elise, the former lover of a mysterious man named Alexander who is wanted by just about every law enforcement agency you can imagine for some major tax evasion charges. Alexander sends Elise a message with very specific instructions - to board a train and choose a random man who resembles him in height, build, and coloring, and make the men who are following her belive they've reunited. Because you see, no one knows what Alexander looks like - since absconding with billions of dollars from a mobster that used him as a private banker, Alexander used some of that money to acquire a completely new face. Jolie's target of choice is mild-mannered Frank Tupelo, a math teacher from Wisconsin played by Depp. Things get unexpectedly dangerous for Frank when the mobsters on Alexander's trail take up the chase, determined to get their money back.

I love and adore Johnny Depp, but seriously, even the role of a math teacher from middle America seems to require more than the usual suspension of disbelief. *wink* Depp is NO "everyman" if you get my drift. But if you don't mind a minor SPOILER - all is not as it seems with the mild-mannered Frank. As far as Jolie goes, I have seen very few of her films - nothing against her, really, it's just that she doesn't typically make the type of movie I'm interested in in seeing, I guess. Here she's definitely channeling Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn. In every scene she's all elegance, classier than I think I've ever seen her on-screen. This is my favorite of her costumes, worn to a ball - I just adore this dress!

Now, I'm really torn as to how much detail to to go into about Frank and Elise's relationship. I don't know if the movie's really obvious and I was just going into the theater playing really dumb or what (*wink*), but there are two major twists that occur towards the end of The Tourist that I quite frankly didn't see coming AT ALL. And while some would argue that they're too contrived, honestly it all worked for me. The whole feel of The Tourist is pure escapism from beginning to end, coated with a glamour that evokes Old Hollywood - and people I just love that.

On to some of the other cast members - Paul Bettany plays Inspector John Acheson, a man who is completely obsessed with Elise's connection to Alexander, and driven to bring the fugitive to justice at all costs. Bettany adds class to any film he appears in, and I really enjoyed watching his obsessive inspector become increasingly more driven and borderline unhinged as the chase reaches its climax. Acheson's boss was played by Timothy Dalton of all people - loved seeing him on-screen, especially after his memorable guest spots on Chuck this past fall. But the best surprise of all was the moment Rufus Sewell appeared on the screen as "The Englishman." People, I just adore that man, and he needs to be in more movies or TV shows asap. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Zen mystery series he's been filming appears on the 2011 Masterpiece Mystery schedule.

The settings throughout the film are absolutely breath-taking. Filmed in Paris and Venice, the filmmakers take full advantage of the atmosphere and architecture to completely sweep one into the story. If you're like me you'll forgive any plot contrivances for another view of the gorgeous Venice cityscape. And because I'm such a film score junkie, I have to give a nod to James Newton Howard's lovely score. It was always the perfect complement to the scene or action, and with the occasional "caper theme" flourish that reminded me just a bit of old school James Bond, it was a lot of fun to listen to.

Okay, I can't resist discussing the twists I referred to earlier, so from this point on...

BEWARE OF SPOILERS :)

So, Elise turns out to be an undercover agent who "went dark" when she was sent to Russia to infiltrate Alexander's life. The problem? She fell in love with him. When she marks Frank and starts to get to know him, she decides that it's time to turn Alexander in - she still loves him, but she's started falling for Frank and doesn't want to see the hapless math teacher get hurt. Well, it turns out that instead of conning the police, Elise was the one getting played, because Frank was Alexander all along (still following me? *g*).

I found myself unexpectedly fascinated by the way the movie played with the idea of love - would it be possible for a woman to be so in love with, so tied to a man that she could fall in love with him twice and not realize it? Am I making sense here - are we supposed to believe, I guess, that Elise is drawn to Frank because subconsciously she "knows" him even though he has a new face? One can debate whether or not Jolie and Depp have sufficient on-screen chemistry - it's rather a slow burn between the two characters, and in the context of this story it worked for me. I guess it's the hopeless romantic in me that really appreciated how the final twist played out. Elise's delight at realizing she'd fallen for the same man twice, Frank/Alexander facing down the mobster, and the fact that Bettany's Inspector was right all along, and knew his quarry better than anyone ever gave him credit for - but he still couldn't capture the elusive Alexander in the act.

Escapism at its best, I found The Tourist to be a highly entertaining two hour diversion. The story's twists and turns and its gorgeous settings will be a world I'll enjoy revisiting in the future. And it's really quite a clean film, some action violence but other than that a welcome modern-day throwback to the great escapist "caper" films of the 1950s and 1960s. Here's hoping The Tourist inspires some people to check out the great films that so clearly inspired it. Click to read my review of North by Northwest, if you're interested. :)

Nanny McPhee Returns

Friday I went to see Nanny McPhee Returns with Kaye and Lori. And while I expected to enjoy the film, I was surprised by exactly how much I did so since going into it, I wasn’t entirely sold on the idea that the first Nanny film required or merited a sequel. Nanny McPhee came out five years ago (already?! – my, how time flies!), and was a wonderful, magical adventure from start to finish. I absolutely loved seeing Colin Firth as the loving but completely overwhelmed father of the wild, irrepressible Brown children. The film also featured several noticeable guest stars, including Angela Lansbury, Imelda Staunton, and Derek Jacobi, who gave the production some added gloss. With a sparkling predecessor like that, I really had my doubts that a sequel could bring anything new to the table. Happily, I was wrong on all counts – I never should’ve doubted the brilliant Emma Thompson’s work.

Nanny McPhee Returns jumps about 60 years or so into the future, taking the story to the 1940s. Anyone who has read this blog for any length of time knows that I love studying pretty much anything to do with the World War II time period, so this setting was most welcome. This time around we’re given a harried, stressed mother as the main character, one Isabel Green – here played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. I have to say I was quite impressed with her turn as a young British mother struggling to keep her children in line and keep a roof over their heads while her husband is away at war. She exhibited a very creditable British accent, and she really was completely believable as the young mother of three barely treading water during a most difficult time. Gyllenhaal just has a look that fits the clothes and mannerisms of the 1940s surprisingly well, and the glimpses she gave of the pain and concern she carried for her little family were quite moving.

Her wild trio of children is anchored by son Norman, played by Asa Butterfield. He looked so familiar, but I couldn’t place him while I was in the theater. Thankfully Kaye set the record straight – Butterfield is also known as the unbelievably creepy young Mordred in the television show Merlin! I’ve got to say it was really quite nice seeing him play a sympathetic kid for a change, LOL! Norman’s nemesis for the first part of the film is his cousin Cyril, played by Eros Vlahos. Cyril and his sister, Celia (Rosie Taylor-Ritson), were sent from London to live with their poorer cousins in order to escape the German bombs – and their culture shock is extreme, to say the least! Norman’s two siblings are Megsie (Lil Woods) and Vincent (played by an absolutely adorable Oscar Steer). When these five children are first thrown together, they are in desperate need of structure, guidance, and Nanny McPhee’s “five lessons” (though they would be loathe to admit it!). I really feel like this group of children got their act together a lot faster than the children in the first film. This felt appropriate to the time (even though they are just kids, they are very aware of the war and its affect on their lives), and true to the trying situation the children found themselves in through no fault of their own. This turnaround was anchored by Norman and Cyril coming to terms with each other and working to discover the whereabouts of Norman’s missing father. I really, really liked how those scenes played out – these kids matured fast and did it well.

As with the first film, this movie is full of humor and magic, with perhaps an even greater reliance on Nanny McPhee’s magical abilities than the first movie (though it’s been ages since I’ve watched that one, so I could be forgetting some scenes). These movies just feel like wonderful storybooks come to life with their vibrant, eye-popping colors, quirky sets and costumes, and gorgeous music. James Newton Howard provides an appropriate magical-sounding score, taking the reins from the great Patrick Doyle’s work on the first film. Howard’s work feels like a natural extension of Doyle’s, though not a carbon copy, full of his own flourishes and unique take on Nanny McPhee’s fantastic world. I also liked how the filmmakers used period songs two or three times throughout the movie – it was a nice touch that added to the 1940s atmosphere.

Nanny McPhee Returns is just as much of a who’s who of British acting talent as the first film. Rhys Ifans plays Isabel’s wastrel brother-in-law Phil. While Phil is definitely the villain of the piece his misadventures also provide some of the movie’s funniest scenes as he attempts to placate debt collectors, the delightfully named Misses Topsey and Turvey (sort of a whacked out Tweedledum and Tweedledee). Ralph Fiennes makes a brief appearance as Cyril and Celia’s father, the imposing Lord Gray of the War Office. (I could go off on a tangent here and discuss how far Ralph Fiennes has fallen role-wise in recent years – Voldemort notwithstanding, and honestly I do question if he was the best candidate for that role – but I will refrain.) I’ve saved the best two for last, though – Maggie Smith gives a sweet and hilarious turn as Mrs. Green’s employer, shop proprietress Mrs. Docherty. Mrs. Docherty has an unexpected connection to Nanny McPhee, and if you’re like me the reveal will bring a tear to your eye – very sweet and very well played. (The presence of Fiennes and Smith, along with Thompson, make this a mini Harry Potter reunion…and it makes me wonder why they could appear in this movie and the final Potter films, and Thompson bowed out. Granted, Nanny McPhee was her “baby” as far as projects go, and Smith and Fiennes’s scenes were limited…but still, I would’ve loved to see her return as Professor Trelawney. Oh well, c’est la vie!) And finally, Ewan McGregor makes a surprisingly and thoroughly welcome appearance as Mr. Green, the beloved husband and father away at war. I think he had something like two lines between his two scenes, but I just cannot begin to tell you how perfect those moments were – he was ideally cast as the family’s devoted husband and father.

If you enjoyed the first Nanny McPhee movie, I feel safe in whole-heartedly recommending this sequel as a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. In many ways, thanks to the setting and war-centered storyline, I think I may end up preferring this sequel to first in the long run. The acting chemistry between the kids also help sell the movie – this time around this group gelled really, really well and I loved watching them overcome their differences and come together as a family. I have to commend Emma Thompson for once again a job well done bringing Nanny McPhee to life – she’s so good as this character. There’s something so heartbreaking when you stop to think about McPhee’s role in the lives of her young charges – she can only stay when she’s needed, but not wanted - and when she’s finally wanted, that’s when she must go. It’s really a powerful reminder to treasure the relationships that matter in one’s life through thick and thin, especially parental relationships, I think. Between Thompson’s energetic script and elegant on-screen presence (warts and all!), Susanna White’s fast-paced direction (she’s behind Jane Eyre and several Bleak House episodes), sparkling sets and costumes, and wonderful acting, Nanny McPhee Returns is heart-warming, not-to-be-missed fun. With a sequel this good, I say bring on a third installment…