MirrorMask
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Movie Reviews of MirrorMask
Movie Review: "What's green, hangs on a wall, and whistles?"
Summary: 5 Stars
This story is certainly not new. Stephen King, for instance, had the same premise in his novel The Talisman. It also draws from Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper, as well as presenting a peculiar, off-kilter sensibility ala Alice in Wonderland. However, writer Neil Gaiman and artist Dave McKean, big noises in the comic book industry, put their own spin and transforms this movie into a cinematic event.
Helena Campbell is going thru growing pains and is quarrelling with her mum. Her family runs the Campbell Family Circus and is thus very occupied, and her parents expect her to hold up her end (Helena juggles), but Helena is at that age when kids start to rebel. When her mum states to her, "You'll be the death of me," Helena replies with, "I wish I was." When her mum falls sick and has to have surgery, Helena is overwrought with guilt. She falls asleep and wakes up in a strange, dreamlike world, where every creature wears a mask.
She finds out fairly quickly that there's something wrong with her new surroundings. The Queen of Light (who looks like her mum) has fallen into a deep sleep. A charm, you see, has been taken, causing an imbalance in the kingdom and also strengthening the shadows, who threaten to lay waste to everything. Helena, believing that she is in a dream, nonchalantly sets out to find the charm, the MirrorMask, and save the kingdom, accompanied by a juggling entertainer of dubious character named Valentine and aided by The Very Useful Book. Occasionally, on their journey, when Helena would chance to gaze into an errant window, she would oft see a darker version of herself in the real world.
Thru a chain of circumstances fraught equally with bizarreness and peril, Helena, at last, comes to believe that everything about her is real, thus dramatically raising the stakes for her. The gravity of her situation is never more dire than when she is captured and delivered to the Dark Queen, who believes Helena to be her daughter and means to keep her forever. Can Helena and Valentine find the MirrorMask in time to save themselves and the kingdom? Can Helena regain her way to her own world and find out the fate of her mum? And will Valentine end up being a waiter?
Let's get the acting and the plot out of the way. The acting is across the board excellent, with several actors portraying dual roles. Young Stephanie Leonidas as Helena and Jason Barry as Valentine are particularly excellent, which is a good thing as they are in most of the scenes. And the plot? Well, as stated earlier, it's not exactly brand new. The fascination lies in the carrying out of the plot. When you have the likes of Gaiman and McKean in control of the story, you know you're in store for some wild inventions of fancy.
MirrorMask is something Tim Burton wishes he had made. Even though the first 19 minutes take place in the "real" world, the circus scenes instantly set the baroque and dreamlike nature of the movie. Renowned abstract and surrealist artist (and now first time feature film director) Dave McKean uses his artistic sensibilities to indelibly stamp his mark. From the get-go, as he frames his live action sequences with illustrated doodles, we realize that these are only early harbingers for the more lavish special effects yet to come.
When Helena enters the fantasy world, we are immediately treated to surreal, soft-edged landscapes and weird denizens that recall the vivid works of Bosch and Dali. The colorful, stunning, eerie visuals wash over the senses and give one the sensation of having ingested some form of hallucinogen. The imagery really is beautiful, intoxicating stuff. And some of these weirdly put together creatures are oddly endearing. My favorite was the feline-like Sphinx thingamagig who's actually quite bad at riddles. I was also fascinated by the slow spoken, embracing stone giants and felt quite sad at their fates. Meanwhile, Josefine Cronholm's sensual renditions of the Burt Bacharach standard "Close to You" and the closing credits song "If I Apologize" add greatly to the deliriously offbeat mood.
The special features include film commentary by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, interviews with Gaiman and McKean, the behind the scenes feature "Beginnings - The Genesis of MirrorMask," cast & crew interviews, "Day 16" - a time lapse video of a full day of production, "Flight of the Monkeybirds" - making the Monkeybird sequence, "Giants Development" - about the design and creation of the stone giant sequence, a 20-minute Q & A session from the San Diego Comic Convention, and a poster & cover art gallery.
One negative is that Gina McKee, when playing the Queen of Darkness, reminded me a bit too much of Tilda Swinton's the White Witch of Narnia. Another minus is that the film never makes it quite clear if all the weird events actually did happen or if Helena had dreamt everything. Was everything in MirrorMask, then, an allegory? I dunno. I, myself, am not creative or imaginative enough to peel away too many layers from the surface.
Surreal. Dazzling. Inventive. I guess the most apt description of the film can be credited to one film executive, who, upon first viewing MirrorMask, informed Gaiman, "That was like Jean Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast, on acid, for kids"
Movie Review: 'MirrorMask', A Unique and Inviting Doorway To Our Subconscious Mind
Summary: 5 Stars
After looking forward to this film for over a year and a half, being a fan of Gaiman in particular, I finally got a hold of the DVD on Tuesday and finished it last night. What an unforgettable, unique, moving and just mindblowing experience! Truly one of the best films I've seen in a long, long time. The story is pretty simple, a young adolescent girl with angst and rebellious feelings towards her parents is plotting to run away from her life and seek something more normal. Perhaps this theme sounds a bit too typical, but rest assured, that's where familiarity ends. This girl, Helena, lives with her parents who own and operate a circus/tivoli, and she helps out with her juggling act. 'Mirrormask' starts out with Helena writing a letter, sort of a diary entry, explaining her frustration with her parents. Shortly thereafter Helena confronts her mum about her attitude towards the circus and the heated discussion ends quickly without any resolve. They go about their business and get ready for the nightly performance. As misfortune would have it, moments later Helena's mum falls ill and the evening's grand event must be postponed as she shockingly discovers her mum collapsed on the ground. From here on out, Helena's life seems to falter, and she regrets the silly, irrelevant argument that she had with her mum just moments earlier, and not telling her how sorry she is for what she said. Her dad and the circus crew comfort her and reassure her that she has done nothing wrong and that she mustn't blame herself. Helena's mum is taken to the hospital and Helena stays with her grandmother in the mean time. Daily visits to the hospital becomes the order of the day, and Helena becomes increasingly worrisome. She deals with her pain through art, drawing in her room and on of the roof of her grandmother's apartment complex. One day as she's drawing, she falls asleep on top of the roof, and at that moment she enters a strange, parallel dimension in which nothing is as it seems, and the rules of our reality have no bearing anymore. Enter the surreal and wonderfully twisted world of 'MirrorMask'.
I was honestly blown away and awe struck by the imagery put forth in this adventure, and some moments simply had my jaw to the ground in disbelief. The mind is truly an amazing, underestimated thing, and perhaps never has it been more apparent than by the awesome imagination of Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean and the intensely talented folks with the Jim Henson company. The world relies on masks as the true source of identity or emotion, and quite literally everything is topsy turvy from the very ground to the buildings and sky. There is a major character named Valentine who becomes Helena's confidant in this mirrored world, and quickly shows her the ways of this strange and fascinating new universe of odd customs and equally perplexing inhabitants. One scene in the film was a bit funny in which Valentine wondered why Helena did not have a mask, and she answered that she didn't have one, then he asked her how else could she display emotions? That's just one of the ways in which this world operates, and it's a poignant commentary on how people in our society often unknowingly hide behind these masks that we put on in various social situations. This journey of Helena into a new dimension isn't just about exploring another destination, but it's most importantly a journey of self-exploration, of her own mind and how she eventually comes to terms with her mum falling ill and how she relates to her parents in the child-parent paradigm. Throughout the film she gets glances at herself through windows inside buildings, looking back at herself in the real world, and Helena in the real world staring back at herself in the parallel world of 'MirrorMask'. As we find out later on, the Helena in the real world isn't really herself, or is it? The question is answered by the end of the film, but the question still lingers, at least in the figurative sense. Without giving too much away, Helena encounters numerous foes on the other side of reality, perhaps in a sense fighting the demons of her own artistic mind. Ultimately it's a coming of age story of how to deal with the transition from childhood to adulthood, and tackling the real life obstacles that far too often interfere with that metamorphosis, but also it's an important tale of the possibilities of not only our reality, but all the realities out there, the possible as well as the impossible ones, and the power and creativity of the human mind.
'MirrorMask' is part surreal, visceral art exhibit on speed and hallucinogenics, and part drama depicting the trials and rewards of life. It's an emotional journey to be sure, with convincing, moving, passionate and deep performances by the cast, especially that of Helena who carries the film on her shoulders. The imagery in this tour de force will stick with one for a lifetime, and as the movie hints at, it really is the stuff dreams are made of. I found a bit of myself in this excellent film, and maybe some of you will too. Definitely a must see film, for so many reasons. Enter at your own risk though, because once you're in the world of 'MirrorMask', you might not want to leave.
Movie Review: Beautifully Fantastic
Summary: 5 Stars
Over the past few years, filmmakers have started making a lot more fantasy movies than in previous years, and I think that's thanks to Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. But MirrorMask captures another side of fantasy that isn't often in movies, and that is surrealism. Very little in this movie is explained, and in truth it doesn't need to be. The laws of the story are presented, and no matter how screwed up they are they are completely acceptable. And those responsible for this movie, Neil Gaimon and Dave McKean, have done this side of fantasy so well before (read Coraline), it's almost impossible for these two veterans to screw this one up.
MirrorMask follows the journey of a young girl who's tired of her life in the circus run by her parents. In the opening moments, this girl, Helena, gets into a shouting match with her mother and though nothing comes of it in the end, Helena feels a deep responsibility when her mother suddenly collapses backstage during the circus festivities. Ridden with guilt and wanting nothing more than her mother to be okay, Helena wakes up in a strange world that isn't exactly unfamiliar to her. Once here, she discovers that a Queen is locked in a permanent sleep, and the only way to wake her is to find the Charm and the missing princess, who just so happens to look a lot like Helena. Opposing her is another Queen, this one of the shadows, who hunts Helena and her traveling companion Valentine throughout the dream-world Helena has found herself in.
The movie has a number of magical moments worth mentioning. During her journey, Helena meets many magical creatures, including Sphinxes, giants, and some odd looking, penguin/gorilla creatures that highlights one of the most thrilling moments of the movie. All of these creatures, made with the help of the Jim Henson Company, are made alive with some excellent special effects and convincing characterizations. Giants are slow-talking creatures with infinite patience, while Sphinxes, in the vein of Oedipus, is a riddling creature who loves the taste of the printed page. But what's even more magical than the creatures is the settings. It seems that Dave McKean drew every separate background and flushed it out with 3D CGI. As the characters move through the world, you get a sense that they are walking along pages rather than streets, and that, I think, was the goal of the director. After that, there is a distinctly unique soundtrack that adds a lot to the wonder of this film.
As for the DVD, while it doesn't have a lot of extra features, it has one that I personally loved, and that is the interview with Neil Gaimon, a favorite writer of mine. Beyond that, it has an interview with Dave McKean as well, along with a rundown of the history and the making of MirrorMask. Overall, this is a solid DVD.
Though not a perfect movie, this movie should and probably will be remembered in later years as one of those magical films to come out of our time. The story, while not unique, is presented in a way that has never been done, in a setting that is eye-catching and sometimes a bit scary. The characters are lovable, the conflict tense enough, and there is even a minor twist that is built up by one of the character early on in the movie that will make you smile during the ending moments of MirrorMask. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who loves fantasy films like the Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland.
Movie Review: The Return of The King: The Jim Henson Company
Summary: 5 Stars
(This is based on the theatrical release of MirrorMask which is currently in theaters, 10/30/05)
With a little help from Neil Gaiman's masterful writing, and Dave McKean's able artistry and direction, the Jim Henson Company makes a fantasy-filled return to the silver screen.
I was a big fan of The Labyrinth and, even more so, The Dark Crystal in the `80's. The excellent puppetry work combined with human characters was a novel idea, far beyond Sesame Street, and formatted more for the adult who has a kid's mentality. I was curious to see how The Henson Company might have advanced in the intervening years, and I wasn't disappointed. Gone are the puppets (to the chagrin of some) and in their place are CGI screens that boggle the mind - a living tapestry that slowly trundles by.
Creating screen shots that mimic a painter's canvas, this movie is pure eye-candy (think Alice In Wonderland meets Van Gogh). Although the opening few minutes felt more TV-esque than magical, they were quickly whisked away by the sumptuous middle and ending of the film.
The story: Helena, a teenage circus performer along with her mother and father, is having the usual surges of defiance. She doesn't want to be in the circus anymore, and she and her mother have a heated argument in which Helena wishes her mother dead. And during the evenings performance under the big top, Joanne, Helena's mother, collapses and falls into a coma. It is quickly discovered that she has something seriously wrong with her (although it's never defined, a brain tumor is easily surmised). Helena is riddled with guilt over her nasty words and falls asleep one night, and wakes up in a world of muted colors and magical creatures. Giant stone beings, masked love-interests, idiot cat-sphinxes, and a growing darkness that threatens to envelope this alternate world.
As Helena moves her way through this strange land, we begin to understand that she isn't asleep nor dreaming. This is real. But she's traded places with another, less likable Helena who is destroying her life back in the "normal" world. Helena sees this "other her" through the drawings she's done that decorate her bedroom wall. She looks through sketched windows, watching helplessly as the "bad" Helena argues with her father, makes out with a boy on her bed, and generally wreaks havoc.
It is soon discovered that the reason the world the good Helena now inhabits is falling into darkness is because of the imbalance created by the trading of places by the two Helenas, and our heroine has to find something called the MirrorMask to help set things right. The search is a puzzling heroes journey that pulls her deeper and closer to a wickedly dark queen. Helena struggles with growing up and becoming a stronger person as she walks, runs, and flies through this surreal landscape, trying to get back to her family and, most importantly, to her mother's sickbed.
This is a great movie for adults to take their teens to. It'll give them something to discuss as their children grow and have to face the muted colors of adulthood.
[The film is now playing in limited release at many art theaters and comes highly recommended]
Movie Review: Fantasy, Imagination, and Wonder
Summary: 5 Stars
"Mirrormask" is probably not a movie for everyone. It's not simple, straightforward, and it doesn't offer a familiar story or a comfortable visual style. It does not pander. It is a rich, complex, sometimes troubled fantasy that can truly be enjoyed by the whole family, which doesn't mean that it is safe for kids to watch and tolerable for adults -- it means that both kids and adults can find something here to grab onto and explore.
Fans of Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean should be well-pleased by their newest collaboration in "Mirrormask." Gaiman's writing is as sharp and clever as ever, and McKean's style of visual storytelling is wonderful to behold in the medium of film. For those new to the impressive creative engine that McKean and Gaiman represent...let me just say that you're in for a treat. These guys do great work together, and with "Mirrormask" they're at the top of their game.
Film is a collaborative medium, and Gaiman and McKean were not the only impressive talents here. 15 different animators applied their abilities to different pieces of the film, and it's amazing how well it all comes together. The animation (which takes a featured role for much of the film) is unique and starkly beautiful. I've seen it three times now, and each viewing reveals some hidden detail or nuance in the animation that I hadn't noticed before. And all of it's just wonderful to look at.
The actors also turn in universally strong performances. Highlights were Gina McKee as...well, in multiple roles, each played to perfection, and Jason Barry as the lovable rogue Valentine. The real star of the show, though, is Stephanie Leonidas, who turns in an amazing performance as Helena, a very modern teenage girl with a troubled family, caught up in a dark Wonderland of new experiences. She brings an emotional depth and believability to her role that is very rare in most fantasy film, or movies in general.
The DVD extras are perfect for those of us who are interested in the creative process of the film, and include a poster gallery for several iterations of posters for the film, a lengthy "Making of Mirrormask" segment including interviews with Gaiman, McKean, cast and crew, and selections from a Q&A session at the San Diego Comic Convention, and best of all, a full commentary track featuring Gaiman and McKean talking about the process of making the film. The commentary track is actually well worth the time it takes to listen to it, just for the insights it provides in how a movie like this can (and maybe should) be made on a very limited budget and in a relatively small time frame.
"Mirrormask," like all stories of this type, owes a measure of debt to other storytellers: C.S. Lewis for the Narnia books, or Lewis Carroll for his tales of Alice and Wonderland. But what really sets "Mirrormask" apart from there is how the story is told, and the uniquely modern themes it is able to express as a result. Visually it is a rich, beautiful film, and it has an imaginative scope that is hard to match. It is rare to find a family film that can really captivate everyone, but "Mirrormask" does that job perfectly.