Cinderella trailer!!

Y'all this looks AMAZING! And the cast!!! Hayley Atwell as Cinderella's mother, CATE BLANCHETT as the stepmother, Holliday Grainger as Anastasia, Sophie McShera (DAISY!!) as Drizella, Richard Madden as the Prince, and Lily James as Cinderella, directed by Kenneth Branagh and with a score by Patrick Doyle!! AND THOSE COSTUMES!!! This is to die for. Bring on March!! :)

Brave

Brave is the latest release from Pixar/Disney, a stunningly-rendered fairy tale of a film. Set in 10th-century Scotland, Brave is the story of Merida (Kelly Macdonald), a princess in the kingdom of DunBroch, the only child of King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). Merida is as beloved as she is feisty and independent-minded (the latter much to her mother's chagrin), the latter quality given a life-changing outlet when, on one birthday during a hunting party, her father gives her the gift of her own bow and arrows. The celebratory mood is interrupted when their camp is attacked by Mor'du, a fearsome and legendary bear. The royal family escapes, but during the battle Mor'du robs Fergus of one leg, giving rise to family legend and a promise to one day kill Mor'du and avenge the loss of limb.

Years pass, and Merida is now a graceful young woman of (to her mother's mind) marriageable age, older sister to three incorrigible and hilarious brothers -- Harris, Hamish, and Hubert. Merida barely tolerates her mother's lessons in royal decorum, living for the moments when she can escape the castle on the back of her beloved horse Angus and ride and shoot to her heart's content. Elinor doesn't understand why her daughter is so reluctant to accept her fate and the behavioral rules and expectations that brought Elinor to where she is today. For her part, Merida cannot understand why her mother is so hide-bound by tradition, why she cannot see that she isn't her mother and, if she has anything to say about it, never will be. Thus, it's the ages-old conflict between a parent and child that lies at the heart of Brave -- and that being said, it could be argued that this is both Pixar's safest film (in how it steps into traditional Disney "princess" territory) and perhaps most relatable film (in how it addresses parent/child relationships).

Merida has barely tolerated her mother's tutelage, and is so absorbed in bucking tradition that she is shocked when her parents break the news that at the upcoming clan gathering, the lord of each clan will present his son to compete for the honor of Merida's hand in marriage. But Merida sees a loophole in her parents' plan -- the eldest of each clan will compete to determine Merida's fate, and so she choose her strength -- archery -- as the method of competition. When Merida steps onto the archery green, breaking years of tradition to seize her own fate, she sets in motion a chain of events that threatens to rupture her family and destroy the kingdom. Events that will test the headstrong Merida's mettle and force her to look deep within to find the courage and bravery to make her own destiny.

I saw Brave in 2D, and once again -- as per the norm with Pixar films -- I was completely blown away by the film's artistry, gorgeously rendered on-screen. The rich greens of the Scottish highlands, the blues of the sky, each tendril of Merida's untamed mass of red hair, all is fully realized on-screen, so richly and completely rendered that it seems as though you could step into the world of the film. From the shimmering fabric of Merida and Elinor's gowns to each character's expressive eyes -- I hope, oh how I hope that I never lose my wonder over this type of filmic artistry. And when it is coupled with strong characters and compelling storytelling, so much the better.

Merida's "unseemly" display at the archery competition brings the simmering conflict between mother and daughter from a spark to a full-blown flame. And this is part of the genius of Pixar's storytelling -- no matter what characters are used as vehicles (human or toy), these filmmakers are able to distill human relationships to their essence, bringing the raw emotional truth of human experience to life on-screen. What person cannot point to some instance of conflict between themselves and one or both parents? The rupture of Merida and Elinor's mother-daughter bond is extraordinarily painful to watch because it feels so real, bringing to life the terrible truth that we oft-times have the greatest power to hurt those closest to us.

Enraged at the fate her parents -- particularly her mother -- are trying to force upon her, Merida determines to become mistress of her own fate. Wandering into the woods she follows the blue will-o-the-wisps to a witch's cottage -- only the witch in question (voiced by Julie Walters), is reluctant to own her identity as a sorceress, preferring to masquerade as a prolific woodcarver. It was easy to see the erstwhile Molly Weasley in the character of the witch, and Walters' vocal performance married to the visuals is a comic joy to watch. When Merida convinces the witch she can pay for her services, she requests a spell to change her mother so she can be free. It's a telling moment, brilliantly executed that reveals the teenage Merida's selfish certainty that there is absolutely nothing she can learn from her mother's experience.

Merida's impulsive, selfish request unleashes a spell that threatens to not only rupture her family permanently, but threatens the future of the entire kingdom. With the future of her world hanging in the balance, Merida and her mother embark on a quest to undo the thoughtlessly conjured spell and repair a fractured and precious familial bond before the curse becomes irreversible. I loved the scenes that follow, where Merida and Elinor come to an uneasy truce of sorts, and then re-learn to appreciate and enjoy each other's company, and -- most critically of all to this storyline -- learn from each other's experiences, and recognize the value within. The script gives equal weight to Elinor learning to hear her daughter and see her perspective, while Merida learns to appreciate her mother's wisdom and experiences. Like all parent-child bonds, the delicate dance of learning balance -- of what to take forward, and what to release, coupled with one's own experiences and preferences -- is critical, and Brave is a very honest exploration of the oft-times tumultuous, but universal, life experience.

This is a beautiful film with lots of heart, following in the Pixar tradition of appreciating and holding sacred the bonds of family and friendship. I loved the humor in the film, especially the scenes involving Merida's rambunctious younger brothers -- they were hilarious! And the scenes where Fergus and his fellow clan leaders jockey for power and position are action-packed but underscored with a strong vein of good humor, particularly when Elinor and Merida in turn manage to "calm the storm" with little more than a simple regal look.

As I've mused on the film for the past few days, it's power as a beautiful story of family has been reinforced in my mind. Merida and Elinor's relationship is perhaps one of the most genuine and honest, accessible explorations of the ups-and-downs of mother-daughter relationships I've ever seen on-screen. The tumult of their relationship is punctuated by moments of, for lack of a better term, violence on-screen when frustrations reach a boiling point. The emotional impact of those scenes is as powerful as honest as the gradual detente mother and daughter reach through near tragedy and danger, renewing an appreciation and resolve in each other to listen, learn, and share their hearts.

Supported by a beautiful score from Patrick Doyle (one of my favorite composers) -- seriously, it's gorgeous -- highlighted by tin whistles, fiddle, and harp -- Brave is another Pixar winner. At first blush, while I thoroughly enjoyed the fast-paced, humor and action-filled storyline, I felt the movie to be wanting ever-so-slightly -- and I think that is because the "princess-avoiding-arranged-marriage" plot felt very familiar in a Disney fairy tale-ish kind of way. But though it utilizes the familiar princess storytelling trope, Brave is a finely crafted tale of the complex, complicated bond that exists between mothers and daughters.

If you've seen the movie I'd love to hear your thoughts! I've attempted to leave this post somewhat spoiler-free, which is highly unusual for me, LOL!

Thor

I have clearly underestimated the hold Kenneth Branagh has on my psyche. When the Thor trailer was released a few months ago, all I could do was laugh. Odin repossessing THE HAMMER cracks me up. But when I discovered that Tom Hiddleston played a major role in this movie, and Rachel kept reminding me of the Branagh Factor, and Kaye kept exclaiming CHRIS HEMSWORTH!!, I decided I had to go. After all, my dad is extremely proud of his Danish Viking heritage, so this movie is practically a cultural necessity in my life.

Growing up, movies like The Vikings, starring Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas, were regularly viewed - after all, when you stop and think about it, there really aren't all that many movies out there that center on Viking types (TRAGIC OVERSIGHT, HOLLYWOOD!). So, given the fact that Odin in a major player in Thor got me to thinking about all of the times people scream for "ODIN!!!!" in The Vikings. Thankfully for you, some kind soul on YouTube uploaded this priceless montage:



You're welcome for that. :) So, now's the point I tell you that yes, there are times when Thor really is as cheesy as those clips. But I really liked it nonetheless. :)

So as a kid I was a big Justice League girl, and didn't really know anything about Marvel's The Avengers until the Iron Man movies came out, and I developed this thing for Tony Stark, and talk of any Avengers film began to take shape. Now, I have very little knowledge of Thor's comic-book background. In fact, even after seeing this movie I have got to say he still strikes me as an odd superhero to stand alongside the likes of more - mortal or self-made, I guess is the classification I'm looking for - superheroes like Iron Man and Captain America. If anything he's more of a Superman type.


"Do you like my hammer?"

Branagh's film is a sort of mash-up of Superman and Clash of the Titans (alternating between the original and the much cooler, more watchable remake). It's impossible not to think of Olympus when viewing this film's glossy, star-strewn recreation of Asgard, the headquarters of the Norse gods. There's lots of sturm und drang in the Asgard universe, as Odin's sworn enemies THE FROST GIANTS OF JOTUNHEIM (yes, really) conduct a successful raid on the Asgardian stronghold. This does not go over well with Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Odin's (Anthony Hopkins) heir-apparent, who wants to go and remind the Jotuns who's boss. Daddy Odin does not approve, as he wishes his firstborn would show a little more prudence and realize that kings should not simply go around knocking in the heads of anyone who looks at them cross-eyed. But since Thor thinks he knows best, he takes his crew - brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the "warriors three" (wait for it) - Fandral the Dashing (Josh Dallas), Hogun the Grim (Tadanobu Asano), and Volstagg the Volumunous (Ray Stevenson, who's playing Porthos in the upcoming The Three Musketeers) - and the warrior maiden Sif (Jaime Alexander) to "talk" to the Jotuns, and to make a long story short, things don't go well and Odin has to ride in to save the day.

Hoping to teach his arrogant, cocky, jolly Viking princeling some humility, Odin strips Thor of his godlike powers, which are all wrapped up in the gigantic hammer named MJOLNIR (yes really), and exiles him to Earth. There he runs into (literally) Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), a brilliant scientist type researching the idea of an Einstein-Rosen Bridge (which I know all about thanks to season four of Eureka), and finds Thor's abs a bit distracting. Her colleague, Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) finds Thor's delusions of Norse god grandeur a bit troubling, and knows an awful lot about S.H.I.E.L.D., the mysterious federal agency he's understably wary of butting heads with. There's also a plucky graduate student assistant sidekick, Darcy (Kat Dennings), who provides occasional moments of comic relief (in addition to the Vikingish shenanigans, mind). They must all band together as Thor seeks to recover his powers, care about others, and save mankind and the Nine Realms from his crazy brother Loki (who, SHOCKER!!, isn't really his brother). I LOVE FAMILY DRAMA IN SUPERHERO MOVIES!

Anthony Hopkins was awesome as Odin - if you want to lend a movie with a potentially ridiculous superhero gravitas, clearly it is necessary to cast someone like Hopkins in the mentor role. And I have to give a shout-out to Rene Russo as Thor's momma, Frigga, because that is a flipping awesome name. If you don't get to do much in Asgard, well the name more than makes up for it.

The only thing I've seen Chris Hemsworth in prior to Thor is his brief appearance as Kirk's father in the last Star Trek (and sadly for him, he didn't even merit a mention in my review). Physically he fits the role of Thor perfectly, but I have to admit that for the first hour or so I was a little worried he was only capable of brawn, and entirely lacking in brain cells. But as the film progresses and Thor is humbled and becomes willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of others, the character actually became a superhero I rather cared about. And really at the end of the day what's not to like about a guy who can pull of a dashing red cape with such aplomb? Anyways - as is the norm with Branagh's films, Thor is liberally sprinkled with light comic touches, and Hemsworth reveals a decent aptitude for comedy, especially playing the straight man in all of Thor's "fish out of water" scenes as he learns Earth ways (like how to order a second cup of coffee). Incidentally, Hemsworth is the brother of Liam, who made a good impression on me last year in The Last Song. Talented family. :)

I was a little worried Natalie Portman's Jane might prove annoying, but Portman seems to be having fun with the role and she's always struck me as being highly intelligent, so she fits her character's occupation rather well. She and Hemsworth have some decent on-screen chemistry (really I would worry about Portman if she didn't with Hemsworth! *wink*), and I really got a kick out of Jane's reaction to Thor's chivalrous language and rather "courtly" demeanor, especially when he kisses her hand (twice! what a lost art! *swoon*). And I loved the fact that Jane's the one who kisses him at the end of the movie - and the ending, oh the diehard romantic sap in me LOVED it. Separated by a broken wormhole, a desolate Thor is assured by the stoic gatekeeper Heimdall (Idris Elba) that his lady-love has not forgotten him and is working tirelessly to find a way to Asgard. *swoon again* I'm convinced only Branagh could've successfully directed such a gloriously over-the-top romantic lovers-across-time-and-space moment like it.

Tom Hiddleston proves to be a frankly inspired casting choice as Loki. He's lean to Hemsworth's brawn, and his angular features and lithe appearance fit the role of "god of mischief" PERFECTLY. Hiddleston should be a familiar face to Masterpiece fans (and blog readers), as I loved him in Return to Cranford and Wallander. Hiddleston to his everlasting credit is wholly believable right from the start of the film - he really seems to relish playing the conflicted, over-looked second son and bad guy, and isn't at all put off by the ridiculous headgear he gets to sport for the climatic fight with Thor. Speaking of the fight, please, for the love of all that's good and holy in comic book movieland, please work on Thor's flying skills for The Avengers. Because I did not like finally getting to a place where I could take Thor (relatively) seriously, only to be forcibly reminded of Superman circa-1978 when he started to glide...I mean fly. AWKWARD.

One of my favorite characters from the Iron Man movies is Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) from S.H.I.E.L.D. Gregg is amazing, he brings whole new, delightful levels of snarkiness and sarcasm to the screen, like his exchange with a captured Thor after the god's failed attempt to retrieve his hammer - Coulson is equal parts disgusted by the ease with which Thor dispatched his agents and intrigued. I just love how Coulson is completely unflappable by pretty much anything (except perhaps Asgard's Destroyer, which is sort of like Iron Man without the man inside). I want to write the man an ode. Heck, I want a whole movie dedicated to Agent Coulson's background and how he came to be involved in S.H.I.E.L.D. During the S.H.I.E.L.D. scenes, look for a brief Jeremy Renner cameo - I'm so, SO happy Renner is going to be appearing in The Avengers as Hawkeye next year.

2nd gratuitous Agent Coulson pic!

The more I think about it, the more I realize it's glaringly apparent Branagh was the perfect choice to direct a film on the origins of a superhero from Norse mythology. No man-made superhero would do for Branagh - something about tapping into ancient Norse gods just screams for Branagh's flair for Shakespearean drama. He keeps the action moving at a brisk pace, and injects a healthy dose of humor into the film to keep things interesting. I was thrilled that once again he worked with longtime musical collaborator Patrick Doyle, who provides a gorgeous, epic score.

(Side note: I couldn't decide which poster I preferred. Thoughts?) Thor was an unexpectedly fun diversion, and I'm looking forward even more to Captain America's release in July. Little beats a good comic book movie for for a thoroughly entertaining summertime diversion. Thor delivers in spades with an old-fashioned adventure movie sensibility, lots of humor and heart, and an entertaining myth arc (and goodness knows I love a good myth arc and heroic journey rife with sacrifice and angst). If you've seen the film, I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)