| Overall Grade: |
A- |
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| Story: |
A |
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|
| Acting: |
A |
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|
| Direction: |
A |
|
|
| Visuals: |
A+ |
|
|
Not what I expected...
by Bruce (movies profile)
Mar 14, 2008
310
of
333 people found this review helpful
I didn't know much about this movie before I saw it. I had heard something about "The Wizard of Oz" and the ad looked very fanciful. I thought it was going to be sort of Narnia/Lord of the Ringish. Hell no. That's not a criticism at all. In fact, it's part of what made me like and respect it. It's so not a Hollywood movie. I am sure this story would never get made by an American studio.
This movie was intense, sad, violent, disturbing, and haunting. It has stuck with me for a few days. It's beautiful but often gloomy and dark. The magical things look "real." There's a lot of rain and mud in this movie. Rain can be oppressive and make me feel powerless--that fits with the feeling of this movie. It's got magic in it, but also brutal realism. It's that magic realism thang.
There was something maudlin about it for me. Kind of "Little Match Girl." That seemed cloying. And somehow the "overall" ends up slightly less than the individual parts. It can happen. But I recommend if you have an open mind.
P.S. So not a children's movie. Had I seen this as a child, I would have had nightmares for the rest of my life. |
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