Falling Stars And Babylon Candles

Some links before I get started today. Norma relates her moviegoing experience at her blog. AngryParsnip mentioned the monsoon season down in Arizona at her blog the other day. Lena made a return to her blog with writing tips. And Maria featured the movie Belle at her blog. 

Today I have a movie review....

"A philosopher once asked, 'are we human because we gaze at the stars or do we gaze at them because we are human?' Pointless, really. Do the stars gaze back? Now that's a question." ~ Narrator

"Everlasting life? I imagine it would be kind of lonely. Well, maybe if you had someone to share it with. Someone you loved. Then it might be different." ~ Tristan

"Murdered by pirates. Heart torn out and eaten. Meet Victoria. I can't quite decide which sounds more fun." ~ Yvaine

Stardust is the 2007 film by director Matthew Vaughn, based on the book by comics and fantasy writer Neil Gaiman, playing around with a fairy tale theme of a young man seeking his destiny in a Victorian era England... that happens to be right next door to a magical kingdom called Stormhold. We first find a stone wall separating the English village of Wall from Stormhold, guarded by a decrepit yet sprightly old man (David Kelly, who you might remember from Waking Ned Devine). A young man named Dunstan Thorne (Ben Barnes, who played Prince Caspian in two of the Chronicles of Narnia films) manages to get past him and into the realm beyond, coming to a village market filled with strange wonders. He meets an attractive young woman (Kate Magowan) who tells him she's a princess tricked into slavery by the witch (Melanie Hill) who keeps her bound to her service. Though Dunstan can't free her, she takes him into her bed anyway. A few months later Dunstan is surprised when the guard brings him something left at the wall for him- a baby named Tristan.

Eighteen years later, Tristan (Charlie Cox) is working in a village shop, living at home with his kind father, now played by Nathaniel Parker. He's infatuated with Victoria (Sienna Miller), but can't see how shallow and self absorbed she is. She's stringing him along, finds him amusing, but is also involved with another suitor, Humphrey (Henry Cavill). One night Tristan and Victoria are out together, and she informs him she's going to be marrying Humphrey. They see a falling star in the heavens. He offers to bring her back the star for her hand in marriage, and she sets a time limit for him.

They're not the only ones linked to that falling star. The dying king of Stormhold (Peter O'Toole) has set his ruby necklace into the night sky, decreeing that whichever of his surviving sons recovers it will be the next king. The three surviving sons (four when the scene initially starts) have already killed off some of their siblings, following the example of their father, who ruthlessly killed off his own brothers to claim the throne. The dead sons, however, aren't that far away, all condemned to remain as ghosts in a spectral Greek chorus of sorts, commenting on things as the story progresses, and bickering among themselves. Out in space, the necklace collides with the star, sending them both falling to earth.

Three ancient witch sisters (Michelle Pfeiffer, Sarah Alexander, and Joanna Scanlon) see the falling star. They know from experience that to consume the star's heart will restore their youth and keep their lives going  that much longer. The first, Lamia, takes up the remnants of the last star the sisters captured, restoring her beauty, and setting out to bring back the star.

Tristan learns from his father about his mother, reading her letter to him, and makes use of a Babylon candle that transports him across space into Stormhold... and into the crater where the star has fallen. A star named Yvaine (Claire Danes) and looking very fetching and not at all like you'd expect a star to look. She's rather annoyed by the young man who's tumbled into her and insists on taking her to see Victoria. And so the two are drawn together into an adventure, meeting witches, ruthless princes, sky pirates, and more along the way. 

I wish I had seen this in theatres at the time. Vaughn and his writing partner Jane Goldman adapted the novel into a screenplay. The story is very much in the vein of The Princess Bride, a fairy tale that turns convention on its head. It's cleverly written, and while it takes profound liberties with the laws of nature- stars do not take the shape of young women- I didn't mind at all. I was completely charmed by the story and the strong characterization of the script. The story also follows the theme of the young hero who must leave home to fulfill his destiny and find his one true love, a theme that goes back to earliest mythology. Vaughn and Goldman's script keeps things moving along swiftly, never slowing down, and tweaks the nose of convention,  such as featuring princes who, instead of being charming, are utterly ruthless and underhanded.

Much of the film was shot in the United Kingdom, with some work done in Iceland, and the result works beautifully. The terrain feels windswept, and gives the story an out of the mists of time sensibility. Villages and homes as we see them feel very much like they fit into the century and a half old setting of the film, as does the technology. Stormhold as a kingdom is a magical place, and so the king's palace is a fantasy design. It looks foreboding and brooding when we first see it, perfectly fitting the ruthless king and his son, and when we see it again at the end, transformed into something else, much brighter and airy, in both cases, it feels very much like a castle out of a fairy tale. The same applies for the lair of the witches, something of a gloomy place, and yet formidable. The set designers and creative artists who came up with the concepts did great work with these locations.

Special effects through the film also were well done. We see that when we first meet a band of sky pirates, men helming a zeppelin up amid the storms. They harness and collect lightning, and the CGI work in rendering their skycraft and the lightning is seamless. The CGI is particularly spectacular in the rendering of the abilities of the witches. Lamia's spells tend to lean towards the violent, and in each case, the magic feels like it's sharing the same space with the actors. I also make note of the music by composer Ilan Eshkari, who gives us a lush, epic score with thrilling accompaniment to action and romantic themes, all fitting nicely into a fantasy tale.

The cast is well cast, for the most part. One exception would be Ricky Gervais, who turns up briefly as a dubious businessman-fence in Stormhold. Essentially he's just playing himself, and as a matter of personal taste, I don't particularly like Ricky Gervais. Fortunately his appearance is brief. Melanie Hill is suitably obnoxious as the witch Dishwater Sal, playing the role as a thoroughly unpleasant soul. Peter O'Toole played one of his last roles as the king of Stormhold, a rotten man who made it to the throne through fratricide, and doesn't mind one bit if his sons are killing each other off. He appears only briefly, but he owns the role. We buy him as a king, albeit a nasty king, because of his long history as an actor.

Kate Magowan appears throughout the film as Tristan's mother. She plays the part in both time periods, as opposed to casting two actresses for the two time periods. Her take on the role is a good one; she's desperate for freedom and seemingly resigned to her fate, but her love for her son is a core quality to the character, and as badly as she's been treated in forced servitude, it doesn't overwhelm her compassion. Ben Barnes first plays Dunstan as a young man, and he plays the role as adventurous and charming; there's a bit of mutual seduction going on between he and Magowan in their early scene. Parker takes over the role- and it's peculiar as to how the two actors seem to look alike. Parker plays Dunstan as a kind, decent father with a quiet wisdom where his son is concerned. He's never married- he met the one great love of his life long ago, and we get the impression he never got over her.

Henry Cavill appears as Humphrey, virtually unrecognizable beneath blond hair and a mustache from the role he would later play as Superman in Man of Steel. He's self absorbed as a person, and something of a bully. Which makes him well suited for the woman he's wooing. Sienna Miller plays Victoria as a completely self absorbed shallow soul, content to bask in the attention of more than one suitor. She doesn't value Tristan for who he is, but enjoys being catered to. We don't like Victoria, can see her for who she is, but Miller does well with the role.

Robert De Niro turns up as Captain Shakespeare, the chief of the sky pirates. When first seen, he comes across as a brutal, ruthless man, and yet that's nothing more than a facade, all meant to maintain the reputation. He's actually a nice guy who took on the family business. He's curious about all things England, took his professional name from the playwright- while his crew seem to emphasize the spear part of his name. De Niro gets to have fun playing a gay man who occasionally cross dresses, and the audience gets to like the character. He's an authoritative leader, who has the respect of his crew, and he's a valuable friend to Tristan and Yvaine, teaching the former to swordfight and the latter to waltz. 

Of the seven brothers, Mark Strong gets the most screen time as Septimus. Strong has been playing a lot of villains and brooding dark roles in films like Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood, Green Lantern, John Carter, and The Young Victoria. Strong plays Septimus as throughly ruthless, willing to do whatever he must to secure his throne, even if that means throwing a brother out a window or poisoning another. And yet we can't help but like the character, as rotten as he is. Strong makes the character so marvelously compelling just by his performance. Even at a moment late in the film when he's not in control of himself.

The three witches are formidable villains. Alexander and Scanlon are sardonic in their roles, allowing their sister to take the lead, while still calling her into question with great regularity, chiding her on overuse of magic and the effects it can have on the body. They both play the roles as malevolent and as a threat, obsessed with the prospect of eternal life. This extends as well to Michelle Pfeiffer's role as Lamia. Whether it's in a decrepit aged state or in the glory of a younger body, she's a thoroughly dangerous person. Pfeiffer plays her as pure evil, willing to make use of anyone or anything to further her goals, even to be underhanded with her sisters if the occasion calls for it. And yet there's still a sense of the actress having fun with the role- particularly when she gets a look at her naked restored self in a mirror.

The two leads are perfectly cast in their roles, and have terrific chemistry, even when arguing. Claire Danes has a long streak in films of crying at least once in a film, a record that remains in place here. But she plays the role with feistiness and strength. She speaks her mind, expresses herself fully without reservation. She's something of an outsider in this world, of course, but finds kindred spirits in the unlikeliest of places. There's a moment in the film when she's talking about what love means, and you immediately agree with her, because it rings true. While on the one hand she's the fairy tale damsel in distress, the next moment she's the one doing the saving, a refreshing twist on the fairy tale genre. Claire Danes' take on this heroine remains fresh every time I see this film, and I love the banter she has with her co-star.

Charlie Cox (Stone Of Destiny) is wonderful as Tristan. He starts off as somewhat naive and oblivious, not seeing the object of his affections for the brat that she is. He has hopes and ambitions though, dreams of a life lived beyond the quiet village. And yet when he's swept up into adventure, he comes into his own. We see a courageous, driven young man who comes to his own realization about where he belongs. As an actor, Cox plays the role with great charm, bantering with Yvaine in a wonderful way, and yet also coming across as authentic. We root for them as a couple because of the great chemistry they share.

Stardust is a fine adventure film with a splendid pair of lead actors who are well matched. It skews the fairy tale conventions and has fun in the process, but also gives us a magical world we accept. If it's a film you have not yet seen, you really must remedy that.

The Most Elegant Family In Concord

Before getting into anything else today, some links for you to peruse. Go and check out Norma's blog for her thoughts on the writer's schedule. Go on over to Gina Adams' second blog American Small Towns for her latest small town profile. See what Lynn has to say about Christmas trees and dogs.  Speaking of dogs, we have a blog with the Square Dogs from AngryParsnip for you to see. And have a look at Krisztina's blog for a Christmas cookie recipe. 

Now then, it's movie review time, and I'm reaching back to the mid-nineties for this one, sort of a Christmas movie (well, it does feature a turning point scene set at Christmas, so...). Anyway, shall we begin?

Little Women has been adapted for film and television before; the beloved novel by Louisa May Alcott about four sisters during and after the Civil War remains a classic today. Alcott wrote two volumes that were collected together, followed by other tales of the March family. The 1994 adaptation remains my favourite (though the Kate Hepburn version from the 1930s is outstanding as well).

This film gives us several years in the lives of four sisters, Jo (Winona Ryder), Meg (Trini Alvarado), Beth (Claire Danes), and Amy (Kirsten Dunst and Samantha Mathis), as they experience the hardships of life on the home front during war, the changes of society around them, tragedy and loss, and love. They are guided by their mother Margaret, affectionately called “Marmee” (Susan Sarandon), along with their gruff great-aunt March (Mary Wickes) and the family housekeeper Hannah (Florence Paterson). Their father is away at war when the film starts, and his presence is a subdued one even as he returns. Mrs. March is the hands on parent in this family, teaching her daughters to value themselves as people.

The sisters are all different. Jo is something of a tomboy, argumentative and imaginative, a writer who seeks the freedom that will come without having to worry constantly about money. Meg is the eldest, conservative in her outlook, concerned about appearances. Beth is painfully shy, only open with her sisters. Amy, the youngest, is particularly romantic and flamboyant, especially as we meet her first as a girl played by Dunst, but also as a young woman played by Mathis.

The family lives in New England in a house called Orchard House, doing their best to get by. Their neighbours are the Laurences, a rich family with the gruff Mr. Laurence (the late John Neville) as the head of the house. His grandson Teddy (Laurie, as he likes to be called) lives with him, and is played by a fresh faced Christian Bale. Mr. Laurence is having him tutored after years of the boy being educated in various places in Europe, looking to have him take on a position with the family firm someday. Hence he has brought in a tutor (Eric Stoltz) to get him ready for university. Laurie is drawn to the March sisters, and particularly to Jo, becoming the brother they never had, a fiercely loyal friend whose dynamics with each of them shakes things up. And so we are drawn into the lives of these people in a film that takes us back in time, a film that never loses its appeal, taken from a book that can never lose its appeal.

Director Gillian Armstrong took the screenplay by Robin Swicord, adapted from the novel, and worked wonders with it. Her attention to detail shows itself throughout, with period costuming looking like it’s from the mid-nineteenth century. The buildings and settings feel very much of the time, at multiple times of the year as the story unfolds over several years. Everything feels like it’s drawn out of the past, and that goes all the way from locations to the smallest details. And the screenplay emphasizes these very strong women, all in different ways. They’re not perfect people, but there’s such humanity in them, such depth. That’s present of course in Alcott’s novel, and having it carry over into the film simply reinforces that. Even the camera work, the lighting, and edits Armstrong chooses along the way, serves the story. Add to that the beautiful character based music by Thomas Newman (one of the underrated composers in Hollywood, and one of my favourites among film composers), and his score is the icing on the cake.

The casting in the film is ideal, but where to start? I’ll start with Sarandon. Her Marmee embodies an inner strength, and a woman of strong principles. She thinks for herself, stresses that her daughters must do the same. She encourages forgiveness (there’s a moment in the film involving an act which for a writer would be unforgiveable). And she is very much the guiding force, the rock upon which her family is based. Her husband’s presence is somewhat subdued, of course, but one gets the impression at least in this adaptation that he accepts his wife being the heart of the family.

John Neville was the great character actor who played many a different role over the course of his career (around the same time he was regularly showing up from time to time in The X-Files as a mysterious member of a shadowy consortium who was something of an ally at times to the pair of FBI agents and at other times a source of profound enigmatic motives). We first get the impression of him as a gruff man, given to the pursuit of wealth, not a terribly friendly man. Yet that changes; when sickness shows itself in the March home while Marmee is away, he freely intervenes with help, and during the Christmas sequence that marks the transition point for the story, we particularly see great warmth and empathy from the man. Eric Stoltz as the tutor John Brooke has a good take on the role. He’s charged with the task of tutoring an unruly student, and there’s an awkwardness about the man’s personality... and yet something about him catches Meg’s eye. Stoltz conveys these qualities well.

Mary Wickes plays Aunt March in the best grouchy way. One would think this was Grumpy Cat in human form. She’s wealthy, the only member of the March family who is, living all by herself in a large nearby home. She’s concerned about appearances, tries to influence her family as best as she can. Deep underneath all that grouchiness, there is more, even a sense of humour, barely hinted at, but also a loyalty to her family. Florence Paterson as Hannah is practically a second mother to the girls, a wise older woman who has a hands on presence in their lives, and an inner warmth that’s infectious. Paterson really brings these qualities across in her performance.

Bale as Laurie is well cast. He was already getting good roles from boyhood by the time he took this role, and as the young man making his way in the world, Bale embodies Laurie just like I would imagine him. He’s passionate and full of mischief, knows what he wants, is willing to do things simply because it’s the right thing to do. He’s loyal to these girls, protective of them and playful with them as well, but also capable of being wounded, retreating into himself when things don’t go as he wished- a situation that shows itself when he is rejected by Jo. He needs to find himself afterwards during a time when he’s become irresponsible and self indulgent and his path leads him in another direction, but ultimately back home. He has great chemistry with these actresses, particularly with Ryder, but also with both of the Amys, in different ways, of course. Bale conveys all of these qualities in the character. The other man in Jo’s life, a professor she meets in New York, is played by Gabriel Byrne, is another example of a good performance. Byrne is one of my favourite actors, and his take on Friedrich Bhaer, a German teacher, is well done. He is drawn to Jo, despite the age difference, intrigued by her thoughtfulness and imagination. It’s a relationship of equals; the two respect each other, challenge each other, and find many common bonds. It doesn’t take long for them to fall for each other, and even so, Friedrich hopes Jo can elevate her work as a writer instead of settling for what’s in demand. Byrne draws on these qualities in his performance, giving us a warm and utterly decent man that we can respect.

The sisters are very well cast. Trini Alvarado draws on the pensive, conservative qualities of Meg throughout her performance. She’s concerned about appearances too- even if she occasionally strays from that. It’s something she seems to draw from her great-aunt March, though Meg has more of a sense of humour. Her relationship with John Brooke feels very natural as it evolves, and being the eldest sister, she seems to be the one who takes things most seriously. Amy might be played by two actresses, but both convey the essential romantic qualities of the character. Kirsten Dunst as the child Amy is headstrong and dramatic in her expressions, occasionally given to acts of jealousy when she’s not getting her own way. Under that, however, is a young girl who does worry about her family, who makes mistakes and tries to make up for them. Samantha Mathis picks up the role a few years later as a young woman, and while she’s more mature a person, more sure of herself, she still embodies that essential romantic nature Amy has, perhaps best expressing itself in a love of art. The two actresses give us a character that’s complicated, a bit of a brat at times, but someone with depth. 

Claire Danes has had a habit of crying on screen in many a movie, and that happens here, of course. She plays Beth in just the right way. There’s such a shyness about the character, and it intrigues me- maybe because I’ve known what it’s like to be shy. She holds much of herself back, comfortable around her sisters but uncomfortable around others. And yet some of the most touching moments in the film are hers. The scene at Christmas with a piano given as a gift by Mr. Laurence will tug at the heart strings. And her final scene is utterly heartbreaking- which makes it beautiful.

Winona Ryder is the core of the film as Jo, and she takes on each quality of the character. She’s ambitious and headstrong, has a great imagination and a strong view of the world. She’s not hesitant about expressing her opinion, a legacy of her mother, and she feels things deeply. She can be passionate and tempestuous at times, but feels very real, a very strongly grounded character. We like her; her spirit and her intelligence draws us to her, and Ryder brings all of these things across on the screen. Her relationship dynamics with the two men in her life, first Laurie, and ultimately Friedrich, feel very natural, and rooted in strong characterization.

Little Women remains a classic twenty years after it was in theatres, giving us strong, positive girls and women in a family that feels very true to life. It does its source novel a great honour by carrying on the story, and is well served by a fine director and crew, and an outstanding cast who give us characters with warmth, depth, and surprises along the way.