The reason I saw this film is that Neil Gaiman is one of the writers. And although his imagination is first rate, this film lacks an interesting story. Basically a 15-year-old girl is able to get inside of her dream and must find a mask to return to the real world. In the real world, her family are circus performers and she learns through her dream to value that instead of rejecting it. The visuals are really good for this film. It uses both live actors and animation and the world that they create is strange and beautiful. This film works as a good children's adventure story but the story doesn't win me over.
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Sometimes I worry that I've lost the plot. My twitchin' muscles tease my flippant thoughts. I never really dreamed of heaven much until we put him in the ground, but it's all I'm doing now - listening for patterns in the sound of an endless static sea. ~ Conor Oberst
This site is now (mostly) an archive of my writing on film from November 2004 - May 2008. I will link to my articles elsewhere and post the occasional Twitter review.
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We are lonesome animals. We spend all of our life trying to be less lonesome. One of our ancient methods is to tell a story begging the listener to say-and to feel- ‘Yes, that is the way it is, or at least that is the way I feel it.’ You’re not as alone as you thought. —John Steinbeck
3 comments:
Interesting, that feeling is what most people feel about the film. I'm a fan of Gaiman's but haven't seen the film either. Is it worth it for visuals alone, or does the lack of true storytelling deny even this pleasure?
Paul
I'm personally don't think the visuals are worth it. I found the visuals for Sky Captian and the World of Tomorrow to be better. But then again, there are those fans out there who say it is awesome. I suspect you wouldn't find it all that interesting.
This film has a lot of deeper meaning and context than what can be explained, really. In the begining of the movie Helena gets into a fight with her mother after which her mother sighs and says "you'll be the death of me." Helena, still mad, replies "I wish I was." A while later her mother passes out and is sent to the Hospital. Helena worries about how this is her fault and expresses her emotions through (Henson film worthy) Drawings. At yet another failed attempt to truly apologize to her mother for what she said, and realizing her father isn't telling her everything about the condition of her father or the family circus, she sinks into her own world, mapped out by her drawings. in this world the good guy and the bad guy both look exactly like her mother, but the good queen is dying because the black queen of darkness is taking over the world with her darkness that spreads like a disease, grows, and attaches to everything. While the good queen is dying, the black queen gets a hold of Helena and treats her like a spoiled child. basically giving her everything she wants, brainwashing her and letting her sit around and do absolutly nothing but play (Which is what helena was doing when she got into an argument with her mother) Meanwhile, the good queen of Light is still dying and Helena has forgotten the responsibilities given to her by the good queen and finding the mirrormask. (I.e helena isn't helping/being responsible so she is getting treated like a child) Helena realizes that this isn't what she wanted, and needs to make her own choices. Meanwhile, the Dark queen's true daughter is destroying Helena's life by acting like a spoiled brat, even more-so than Helena was doing. (There's a lot more to the story, but like i said.....) After Helena finds her way back, her mother (The good queen) is well agian and Helena makes an effort to help out and grow up. I, personally think the visuals are fantastic and there is so much story within the story, and so many little clues in the movie that is missed the first and second time around. Like the woman in the hat shop, her cats, and the music vs Gran, her game show and tv. The 'very useful book' and the story the librarian tells about the mirrormask.(not to mention her friend Valentine and his moment when he puts on the mask. Malcom and the Bobs are pretty entertaining all by themselves.) It's a great movie with a full, in-depth movie. everytime i watch it i find something new. I fully recomend it and say if you saw nothing in the movie but a 15 year old girl trying to get home with a shiny mask, then you need to watch it again.
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