Imagine the themes presented by Pan's Labyrinth told through the lens of the man who brought Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas to the screen, and this is what you get. In all his quirky glory, Terry Gilliam tells this tragic, yet upbeat tale of a young girl's manner of coping with the misfortunes that surround her. What Gilliam is able to capture here, is pure genius. It amazes me how a film this idiosyncratic, can come together so beautifully, without ever feeling like it's as wierd as it actually is.
After the death of her mother, Jeliza-Rose and her loving, but drug-abusing father, relocate to his childhood home. Because of his drug addiction, he spends most of the time on a "vacation" (or drug-induced mind trip), and Jeliza-Rose is left alone to play with her doll heads who all have distinct personalities.
After encountering her eccentric and mysterious neighbours, the story takes another turn, but disclosing much more information would be treading on spoiler territory. While the themes of the story are dark, and the occurences in the story are bizarre to say the least, Gilliam manages to completely tell the story from the little girl's perspective, which affects the way we perceive everything.
The performances offered here feature some of the best of the year, especially those of Jodelle Ferland as Jeliza-Rose, and Brendan Fletcher as Dickens. Both these performances are incredible, and had I seen this film before making my official Top 10s of the year, either or both of these performances would be featured, and this film would probably finish at around #6 or 7 (yes, for me it did more than Pan's).
Go and see this movie now, but be forewarned, this isn't for everyone. Many will be shocked by what they see, and there are some pretty gross moments, but those who allow this to deter them would be doing themselves a great disservice. Gilliam definately gets it right here, as the trip to Tideland will leave you hypnotized.
♥♦♠♣ 9/10
© 2007 Kim Bartlett
After the death of her mother, Jeliza-Rose and her loving, but drug-abusing father, relocate to his childhood home. Because of his drug addiction, he spends most of the time on a "vacation" (or drug-induced mind trip), and Jeliza-Rose is left alone to play with her doll heads who all have distinct personalities.
After encountering her eccentric and mysterious neighbours, the story takes another turn, but disclosing much more information would be treading on spoiler territory. While the themes of the story are dark, and the occurences in the story are bizarre to say the least, Gilliam manages to completely tell the story from the little girl's perspective, which affects the way we perceive everything.
The performances offered here feature some of the best of the year, especially those of Jodelle Ferland as Jeliza-Rose, and Brendan Fletcher as Dickens. Both these performances are incredible, and had I seen this film before making my official Top 10s of the year, either or both of these performances would be featured, and this film would probably finish at around #6 or 7 (yes, for me it did more than Pan's).
Go and see this movie now, but be forewarned, this isn't for everyone. Many will be shocked by what they see, and there are some pretty gross moments, but those who allow this to deter them would be doing themselves a great disservice. Gilliam definately gets it right here, as the trip to Tideland will leave you hypnotized.
♥♦♠♣ 9/10
© 2007 Kim Bartlett
I can't wait to see this. Ferland is underrated.
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