Scan and Pan
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Stardust
Poor shop boy Tristan Thorne (Charlie Cox) sees a shooting star and promises to bring it back to win the hand of the rich young woman (Sienna Miller) he's trying to woo. The star lands on the other side of a stone wall near his village, a wall which is actually a portal to the magical land of Stormhold. He discovers that the star has assumed the form of a beautiful young woman who calls herself Yvaine (Claire Danes). He vows to fulfill his promise to Victoria and then set Yvaine free, but Yvaine's heart is coveted by the evil witch Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) and the ruby she carries is needed by the scheming Prince Septimus (Mark Strong) to lay claim to Stormhold's throne. As Tristan and Yvaine flee the evil forces that are after them, they're aided by the flamboyant sky pirate Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro).
Director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake) skillfully blends fantasy, romance, comedy, swashbuckling, and suspense into a finely polished gem that recalls The Princess Bride. At its heart this is an old-fashioned fairy tale, and Vaughn's direction of both action and actors wonderfully captures that feeling. If you could bottle that feeling, what a magical elixir it would be, and that's exactly what the clever screenplay by Vaughn and Jane Goldman is. Their screenplay is mostly faithful to the novel, but the changes they made with the author's approval work exceedingly well in the context of the film.
Cinematographer Ben Davis (Layer Cake, Hannibal Rising), production designer Gavin Bocquet (Star Wars: Episodes I-III), and costume designer Sammy Sheldon (V for Vendetta) perfectly capture the fairy tale mood and create an enchanting fantasy land using the lovely landscapes of England, Scotland, Wales, and Iceland. Ilan Eshkeri (Layer Cake, Hannibal Rising) contributes a memorably rousing score. A modern touch is added by the Take That song over the end credits.
Cox is outstanding as the awkward young man who must grow into a courageous hero to save the true love of his life. He more than holds his own against the big name actors in the cast with his seemingly effortless charm and boyish good looks. Danes is also quite charming as the star who falls to earth and becomes a woman, convincing us that she really is such a magical being. She finds the necessary balance between innocence and an ancient soul that makes Yvaine who she is.
For the second time this summer (after Hairspray), Pfeiffer gives a deliciously wicked performance that lets us see just how much fun she's having. De Niro delivers a fine comedic performance as Captain Shakespeare, and reminds us that he's more than just a great dramatic actor. Strong makes a great scheming villain, but finds just the right amount of humor to prevent his performance from being one note.
There isn't a bad performance in the film, and other performers worthy of note include Peter O'Toole as the dying King of Stormhold; Nathaniel Parker and Kate Magowan as Tristan's parents; Ricky Gervais as Ferdy the Fence; Miller as Tristan's spoiled object of affection and Henry Cavill as a rival for her hand; Sarah Alexander, Joanna Scanlan, and Melanie Hill as witches; Jake Curran as a peasant who's bewitched by Lamia; Olivia Grant as the peasant after he's transformed into a woman; Mark Williams as a goat transformed into a human; Dexter Fletcher as Captain Shakespeare's first mate; and Rupert Everett, Jason Flemyng, Mark Heap, Adam Buxton, David Walliams, and Julian Rhind-Tutt as Septimus' similarly scheming brothers. Also, the wonderful voice of Ian McKellen is perfect for the story's narrator.
Stardust effortlessly captures the feel of a classic fairy tale with modern touches. A star has indeed fallen to earth and brought magic into the lives of mortals if only for two hours. See it. You won't regret it.
[4.5 out of 5 stars]
Neil Gaiman's novel comes to the screen as a truly magical experience that's easily the best film of the summer and the most compelling fantasy film since The Return of the King graced cinema screens.
Poor shop boy Tristan Thorne (Charlie Cox) sees a shooting star and promises to bring it back to win the hand of the rich young woman (Sienna Miller) he's trying to woo. The star lands on the other side of a stone wall near his village, a wall which is actually a portal to the magical land of Stormhold. He discovers that the star has assumed the form of a beautiful young woman who calls herself Yvaine (Claire Danes). He vows to fulfill his promise to Victoria and then set Yvaine free, but Yvaine's heart is coveted by the evil witch Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) and the ruby she carries is needed by the scheming Prince Septimus (Mark Strong) to lay claim to Stormhold's throne. As Tristan and Yvaine flee the evil forces that are after them, they're aided by the flamboyant sky pirate Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro).
Director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake) skillfully blends fantasy, romance, comedy, swashbuckling, and suspense into a finely polished gem that recalls The Princess Bride. At its heart this is an old-fashioned fairy tale, and Vaughn's direction of both action and actors wonderfully captures that feeling. If you could bottle that feeling, what a magical elixir it would be, and that's exactly what the clever screenplay by Vaughn and Jane Goldman is. Their screenplay is mostly faithful to the novel, but the changes they made with the author's approval work exceedingly well in the context of the film.
Cinematographer Ben Davis (Layer Cake, Hannibal Rising), production designer Gavin Bocquet (Star Wars: Episodes I-III), and costume designer Sammy Sheldon (V for Vendetta) perfectly capture the fairy tale mood and create an enchanting fantasy land using the lovely landscapes of England, Scotland, Wales, and Iceland. Ilan Eshkeri (Layer Cake, Hannibal Rising) contributes a memorably rousing score. A modern touch is added by the Take That song over the end credits.
Cox is outstanding as the awkward young man who must grow into a courageous hero to save the true love of his life. He more than holds his own against the big name actors in the cast with his seemingly effortless charm and boyish good looks. Danes is also quite charming as the star who falls to earth and becomes a woman, convincing us that she really is such a magical being. She finds the necessary balance between innocence and an ancient soul that makes Yvaine who she is.
For the second time this summer (after Hairspray), Pfeiffer gives a deliciously wicked performance that lets us see just how much fun she's having. De Niro delivers a fine comedic performance as Captain Shakespeare, and reminds us that he's more than just a great dramatic actor. Strong makes a great scheming villain, but finds just the right amount of humor to prevent his performance from being one note.
There isn't a bad performance in the film, and other performers worthy of note include Peter O'Toole as the dying King of Stormhold; Nathaniel Parker and Kate Magowan as Tristan's parents; Ricky Gervais as Ferdy the Fence; Miller as Tristan's spoiled object of affection and Henry Cavill as a rival for her hand; Sarah Alexander, Joanna Scanlan, and Melanie Hill as witches; Jake Curran as a peasant who's bewitched by Lamia; Olivia Grant as the peasant after he's transformed into a woman; Mark Williams as a goat transformed into a human; Dexter Fletcher as Captain Shakespeare's first mate; and Rupert Everett, Jason Flemyng, Mark Heap, Adam Buxton, David Walliams, and Julian Rhind-Tutt as Septimus' similarly scheming brothers. Also, the wonderful voice of Ian McKellen is perfect for the story's narrator.
Stardust effortlessly captures the feel of a classic fairy tale with modern touches. A star has indeed fallen to earth and brought magic into the lives of mortals if only for two hours. See it. You won't regret it.
[4.5 out of 5 stars]
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