FILM: Maleficent
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple…
DIRECTOR: Robert Stromberg
God save the classic fairytales and their antagonist! “Maleficent”, Disney’s rehash of “Sleeping Beauty” is a case in point.
At the very onset, the unseen narrator voiced by Janet McTeer, advises the viewers, “that the story we think we know, isn’t the truth”. It is an intriguing way to upend expectations and give the filmmakers a blank slate. But it’s soon obvious that there’s not a lot of narrative ingenuity here.
Torn between good and bad; right and wrong; greed and true love; “Maleficent” is the story of a wicked fairy with horns and wings, who casts a spell – the one about pricking her finger on a spinning wheel – on the princess Aurora (Elle Fanning), nicknamed “Sleeping Beauty”.
The plot line marks the transition of Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) from a sweet caring young fairy who falls for an equally caring human orphan, Stefan (Sharlto Copley) to the wicked character that she is made out to be.
As the protagonist in the film, director Robert Stromberg humanizes Maleficent and converts her simple, “wicked” character trait from the original to a complex and convoluted one. In fact, the film gives a chance for the villain to tell her side of the story and deconstruct an image that is well imprinted in the viewer’s minds.
But the problem lies in Linda Woolverton’s script. The pace of the narration is lackadaisical and lacks flourish and to top it all, the arc of each character juggles to find a foothold.
In the early scenes; sweet and affable characters are played by Isobelle Molloy and Michael Higgins and as teens by Ella Purnell and Jackson Bews. It’s only as adults that the equation takes a volatile turn in terms of appearance and character graph.
Angelina Jolie as the adult Maleficent, with her sharp-etched high cheek bone is more plastic than toxic. As protector of the Moors, her wickedness is doused with her caring attitude and the evil just does not surface.
In the beautifully orchestrated suspense and terror scene, where Maleficent attends the christening of King Stefan’s child, Aurora, her cruelty is justified. It invokes the Disney’s cutesy treatment that ruins it for her.
On the other hand as adult Stefan, Shartlo Copley’s sudden conniving ambition seems to be tailor-made to fit the jigsaw puzzle. And then over a period of time, hounded by guilt and bogged by insanity, he suddenly gets into the confrontational spirit with Maleficent. That is far-fetched and unconvincing.
Humour is injected by the shape-shifting Sam Riley who plays Maleficent’s Man Friday and the three bickering pixies; Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville who play foster aunt to the little princess.
On a separate note, it is interesting to see Jolie’s little daughter Vivienne Jolie-Pitt take her screen bow as the five-year-old princess.
Technically, the film does not lack in any division but the picturesque setting along with the visual tones and the background score offers nothing exclusive. Also, the 3D effect is unwarranted.
Overall, “Maleficent” has a magical and mystical feel along with a different perspective of the wicked fairy, but it fails to enchant or bewitch the viewer. (IANS)
FILM: Blended
Cast: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Kevin Nealon, Terry Crews…
DIRECTOR: Frank Coraci
After a bout of techno-savvy films in the last few weeks, “Blended” is a welcome delight. A frothy, light summer family entertainer, it keeps you in splits with constant gags and cheeky one-liners, along with slapstick and situational dramedy.
The story as you may have envisaged by the trailers as well as the title, clearly indicates that it is a repeat of “Yours, Mine and Ours” or near home, the Ashok Kumar and Pearl Padamasee-starrer Khatta Meetha.
For the uninitiated, it is the story of dynamics between two families with single parents and how they blend to become one.
The film begins with a disastrous blind date between the widowed Jim (Adam Sandler) and divorcee Lauren (Drew Barrymore). They have never been on a date other than with their respective spouses. The awkwardness of the situation further gets emphasized due to guilt pangs they suffer; their loyalty to their children.
Jim has three cute and well-bred daughters; the tom-boyish Hillary (Bella Thorne), the psychic Espn (Emma Fuhrmann) and the cute Lou (Alyvia Alyn Lind). Lauren has two demanding sons; “a chronic masturbator- Brenden (Braxton Beckham) and the little over energetic and enthusiastic sports buff who has trouble with his games, Tyler (Kyle Red Silverstein).
After the date, the two swear not to see each other, but circumstances throw them together and after a complicated and elaborate set-up they end up, along with their families on a vacation, “The 4th Annual Blended Familymoon”, at Sun City Resort in South Africa.
Once in Africa, the outcome is inevitably predictable. The narration is formulaic, but what keeps us glued are the sparkling tongue-in-cheek dialogues and the sweet non-taxing humour which at times is semi-convincing, yet laudable.
Scriptwriters Ivan Menchell and Clare Sera have well-etched the emotional arc of each character and ensured that the various filler additions in the sub-plots are well integrated into the mainstream story.
Compared to his previous films, Sandler portrays Jim with sincerity. He injects the typically male sloppiness, as the single dad bringing up his three daughters, in a positive sense that the audience can identify with and accept Jim’s idiosyncrasies and fallacies.
Barrymore on the other hand, shuttles from the loud boisterous single mother to the loving, caring and nurturing mother figure, Lauren, with equal grace.
There is a distinct naturalness in the chemistry she shares with Sandler.
The kids too, have a fair share of the screen time to shine. They effortlessly get into the skin of the characters they portrayed and leave a lasting impression.
Of the smaller roles, Kevin Nealon as Eddy and Jessica Lowe as his buxom tarty partner in a randy role stand out, so does Terry Crews as Nickens, the muscle flexing South African lounge singer and Abdoulaye N’Gom’s hotel activities manager. They add the forced laughter elements.
On the technical front, the production quality is of good standard. (IANS)