Supporting Actress Blog-a-Thon: Helena Bonham Carter in Alice in Wonderland

I decided I would offer up a companion piece to my write-up on Tammy Blanchard. She is playing a supporting woman on the sideline and now on to a supporting player with no interest in being supportive. (This too is in lieu of StinkyLulu and his Supporting Actress Blog-a-Thon which goes on all day, so time is still available to write an entry.)

                        

Tim Burton’s disgustingly successful Alice in Wonderland is not without its issues. Although I’m generally fond of it Wolverton’s poor script is a problem that looms over the entire narrative – and my biggest qualm with the blockbuster. Amidst her inability to satisfactorily create resolutions for her characters is the tyrannical Red Queen who – whatever the incarnation – seems to emerge as one of the most interesting creatures of Wonderland Underland. Tim Burton often gets flack for his predilection to use a set of familiar faces continually in his films, and as far as Depp goes it’s an argument I can understand. When it comes to Helena Bonham Carter, though, I’m nonplussed about the argument. Like with Sweeney Todd and Corpse Bride before Bonham Carter’s ability to command the screen is responsible for a great deal of the success in Burton’s piece. Unlike the other two, Alice in Wonderland is not a very strong feature which makes her contributions all the more laudable.
                                       

This sort of emotionally stunted diabolical thing is vaguely evocative of her work in Merlin as the similarly perverse Morgan Le Fey – but Wonderland’s Underland’s Queen is a new creation. Even when she was playing the corseted maiden in the early 90s Helena has always has a knack for deadpan humour (Twelfth Night) and her presence alone makes me less tetchy about Alice in Wonderland being labelled a “comedy”. The most obvious scene is the ill-fated meeting between Um (Alice in disguise) and the Queen’s second-in-command, the Knave. She’s terribly overbearing – but it’s hilarious watching her get consistently more annoyed as she tries to convey that Um’s name is Um – and not an inadvertent error on her part. Incidentally, there’s little inherently smart about the scene on paper – but playing the Queen as a sort of perverse child makes Wolverton’s gags more bearable, and even inspired from the right angle. She manages to make the bipolar writing work for her similarly unfocused self, with the same note of anger she will switch to cooing sentimentality as she breathes - “I love a warm pig for my aching feet.” Priceless.

                          

It probably sounds like I’m out to pan her script, but I’ll give Woolverton props for the rare moment of something close to emotional poignancy – although it’s not where you’d expect it. Perhaps it’s Wasikowska’s generally dreariness here, or maybe it’s just another screenplay shortcoming, but Alice’s journey never attains any emotional resonance. The single moment where I’m moved to consider the realness of the characters (aside from Hathaway’s delightfully diabolical good witch) is a conversation between the Red Queen and the Knave (played to perfection by Crispin Glover) and though there is something altogether too pat about the line “It is better to be feared than loved” Helena does the weirdest thing in manging to evoke the biggest laughs and the most striking poignancy in the same film and all this with  that abrasive shrieking tone she uses to characterise the Queen. It would be simple to accuse Bonham Carter of being like the Queen and hogging the spotlight here, but she - like everyone in the cast - is given a script to work with that has palpable issues, she cannot be blamed for doing excellent things with it.

                                        

I was somewhat amused when I noticed that she made the BAFTA longlist for her work here. And though the honour of such a mention is quite diluted when clunkers like Ellen Page in Inception, Depp in Alice in Wonderland and performances I still can’t get understand the appeal of like DiCaprion in Inception and Kunis in Black Swan I felt a sort of contentment that I wasn’t the only noticing that amidst it’s craziness there’s good work being done in Alice in Wonderland.

Forgotten Characters 3:3 (2010 in Review)

There are few things more annoying than watching a film being praised for all the wrong reasons. More than that, it’s more exasperating how an unremarkable performance from a film can be praised while others remain in the background both literally and figurative. I suppose the fact that it wasn’t a big role accounts for its forgotten states, but I’m still especially fond of

Crispin Glover in Alice in Wonderland

as Stayne, Knave of Hearts

I think we can all agree that Helena Bonham Carter was the best-in-show in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (reviewed here) and true, even those who’ve mistakenly (in my book) given support to Depp’s work in the film agree on that. What I wish they’d take time out to note is the fact that Crispin Clover’s second-in-command to the diabolical Red Queen easily emerges as the film’s most notable male performance. Bonham Carter has a terrifying screen presence that’s put to full use here and in all her tyranny Glover must be the diplomatic bridge between the Queen’s constant freak-outs and those she freaks out upon. Naturally, he himself has pent-up hatred for the Queen. Woolverton’s resolution to their relationship which only reinforces the poorness of the screenplay but watching Glover’s very slick Knave opposite Bonham Carter’s very fiery Queen is a treat. Because the Red Queen is so officious he ends up having to spend a great deal of time playing reactionary shots that he absolutely sells. There’s something a little creepy about him (put to excellent use in Charlie’s Angels), but he tempers the creepiness – and where the screenplay is doing nothing to help him out he creates the Knave as a very interesting anti-hero who you want to know more of.

                           

There’s that moment where Um, Alice in disguise is at the Red Queen’s lair – fine her castle – and there’s that confusion as to what her name is. Helena is just a treasure there, but it’s interesting watching Stayne’s face as he thinks he’s one-upped our Ladyship. Well, he has actually – but they haven’t realised it. It’s that sort of reactionary consistency – notice he’s always excessively glib when the Queen has her freak-outs to the point of disinterest – that manages to make Woolverton’s script not good, but better than abysmal. I hate and love that about-face moment where he tries to kill the Red Queen at the film’s end. I hate it because you sort of wish that their dysfunctional relationship could thrive, but it makes sense in a way and Glover does a good job of pulling it off. As he tells her, “It is far better to be feared than loved.” He’s just after the best meal ticket – and getting banished means he has no need for her anymore. Either way he’s a nice bit of fun in an ensemble that has some hits (Bonham Carter, Hathaway) and just as many misses (Depp, Wasikowska) and even though his seduction of Alice makes me shake my head it does spawn my favourite line of his – “I like you, Um. I like largeness.” Priceless.

Do you remember Glover’s dark Knave or did Burton’s officiously directed Alice in Wonderland make you forget him?

Flashback: Sleepy Hollow

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day that drifted to Tim Burton. I was swearing at the brilliance of Big Fish – Burton’s second-best (says me) and she was swearing by Edward Scisshorshands. Afterwards I wondered why Sleepy Hollow never factored into the discussion. When I recapped the brilliance of 1999 there was a host of great films and I’m unembarrassed to say that Sleepy Hollow was one of the best. Despite its excellence, technically and otherwise, I rarely hear it mentioned when discussions on Burton arise. Save for Corpse Bride I think Burton’s brilliance lies in adapting stories and twisting them into the strangest ways (see Beetle Juice, Batman, Big Fish, Sweeney Todd). He’s not a Woody Allen who thrives on doing his own work, and that doesn’t make him any less of a marvel (when he gets it right).

The original tale of Sleepy Hollow is eons away, plot wise, from its cinematic counterpart. The most startling deviation is – of course – to be found in Johnny Depp’s Icabod. I find the original story to be only vaguely interesting and Burton’s variations work well. Though I don’t consider Sleepy Hollow his greatest I’d easily call it his most technically proficient – and that’s saying something in itself. The film is the sort of anomalous thing that attempts to blend comedy, drama, tragedy, mystery, horror and yes, even romance into something dark and broody and very Burtonesque. I’d also wager that it’s the strongest performance Depp has given under Burton, even though it’s ignored for being so obviously under the radar unlike other usual suspects (like Sweeney and Ed). As manic as he can go, there’s something that seems right in seeing Depp play the straight man before he turned into Jack Sparrow and whatnot and his performance is the thing that keeps us centred on the (dubious) reality of the strange world we’re experiencing.

True to Burton form, though, Sleepy Hollow is no one man show. Though I’m decidedly fond of his visual madness and I’d like to see Burton handle a straight dramatic ensemble, because he has a way with large casts. Miranda Richardson and Christopher Walken have a thing for showing up in long films to steal scenes (The Hours, Catch Me If You Can) and they work splendidly in the madness of Sleepy Hollow. Sleepy Hollow is a fable in the best of the sense and though I may not consider it as his greatest it’s up there with the good Burton films.

               

Is Sleepy Hollow proof enough that adaptations don’t make Burton any less inventive?

Movie Meme, Day 13: Favourite Animated Film

Quite ironically, Friday 13th comes and my day turns out to be just godawful.I already wrote a number of words on my favourite animated film (REVIEWED), so I shall leave you with a screencap. A masterpiece from Tim Burton.

Encore’s Greatest Voices: #30-#21

The countdown continues as we near the top, I feel slightly bad that so many films have repeat entries. Then again, I can't blame myself because they're that good.

#30: Chris Sarandon in The Nightmare Before Christmas

as Jack Skellington

“Forgive me, Mr. Claus. I'm afraid I've made a terrible mess of your holiday. ”

Though I wouldn’t swear that The Nightmare Before Christmas is unparalleled excellence, it is a thoroughly enjoyable film and Sarandon’s protagonist is a significant portion of that. He is funny and endearing, yet maintaining his oddball status.

         

#29: Teri Hatcher in Coraline

as The Other Mother (and the Real Mother)

“Don't leave me! Don't leave me! I'll die without you! ”

Teri Hatch…loved her in Lois & Clark, liked her on Desperate Housewives until she turned into the hot mess that is now Susan. She’s not given credit (we don’t really get to see her stretch her legs), but her incarnation of Coraline’s mother and the Other Mother (a.k.a The Beldam) was a brilliant take on a potentially stereotypical villain. Coraline was my favourite animated film last year, and though Fanning’s work as the eponymous heroine was on point it was Hatcher’s layered and terrifying work that stuck with me for weeks after.

#28: Miriam Margolyes in Babe

as Fly

“But you're treating them like equals. They're sheep, they're inferior. ”

I’m sorry I couldn’t get a spot for Babe, but consider this a tribute to all the actors there. Babe is just too sweet for words, and Margolyes no-nonsense Fly is an excellent surrogate mother to the orphan pig. She’s stern, but not unloving and she does so well weighing her dedication to her husband against her that of her husband.

        

#27: Johnny Depp in Corpse Bride

as Victor Van Dort

“Please, there's been a mistake. I'm not dead. ”

At the moment people seem less than enthused about Depp and Burton, no point in dredging up that argument – but I do love Depp’s work as the reticent would-be groom of the eponymous corpse. It’s voicework that’s sometimes forgotten (very subtle) but I think it’s excellent, nonetheless.

       

#26: Joan Cusack in Toy Story II

as Jessie

“Well aren't you just the sweetest space toy I ever did meet! ”

Cusack always was the best thing about the Toy Story franchise, for me. Always a brilliant character actress, her take on the spirited cowgirl in the series was a thing of delight. She knew just how to get on our nerves without being overbearing.

     

#25: Robby Benson in Beauty & the Beast

as The Beast

“I thought I told you to come down to dinner!”

This is one that’s often forgotten. Beneath the animalistic growl Benson is doing excellent work portraying emotions in the Beast that are bubbling below the surface. His petulance, his nervousness, his ferocity – it’s all done as much through the animation as through the voicework making him just as interesting and as rounded a character as Belle.

     

#24: Richard Dreyfuss in James & the Giant Peach

as The Centipede

“Why don't skeletons play music in church? Because they got no organs.”

James & the Giant Peach features one of the strongest animated ensembles, and Dreyfuss' corny centipede is a big part of that.

      

#23: Robert Guillaume as The Lion King

as Rafiki

“Correction: I *know* your father..”

The Lion King is such an excellent film, when it’s time for laughs talk often turns to Timon and Pumba (admittedly good), but for me it’s always Guillaume’s hilarious Rafiki that does all the heavy lifting. He pops in and out (and in again) for a few short moments, but his voicework takes the film to another level. He is simultaneously annoying, perverse, wise and exasperating. Yes, we know these are animals, but we fee like we know this strange monkey.

    

#22: Lillias White, La Chanze, Vaneese Y. Thomas, Cheryl Freeman and Roz Ryan in Hercules

As The Muses (Calliope, Terpsichore, Clio, Melpomene and Thalia

“…And that’s the Gospel Truth.”

I debated whether or not to single them out, but it didn’t make sense. The Muses are all part of the same entity. Voice by a quintet of Broadway voices they’re responsible for the narration of this underrated piece. From Ryan’s spunky soul sister to White's sophisticated headliner they all work in tandem to create some of the most entertaining Disney characters.

#21: Jonathan Freeman in Aladdin

as Jafar

“You're speechless, I see. A fine quality in a wife.”

It’s probably difficult to craft a villain unlike anything we’ve seen, and all Disney villains do have that sombre voice in common. But Freeman does his own things with Jafar. He's slimy and he's almost offensive, but he sure is fun to watch.

      

Only two more rounds left? Do you have particular fondness for any of these?

PREVIOUSLY:

#50 - #41
#40 - #31

Music Break [...with Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett]

Cut songs and all (where was the rest of "God That's Good") I do love Tim Burton's adaptation of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. A bit too short, but entertaining and well made. True to my weird nature my favourite moment in the film is one that is often forgotten. True, I've never actually seen a live incarnation of the piece but even though Depp and Bonham Carter were not the belters associated with the roles their soft voices paid off - especially in this scene. "My Friends" along with "Johanna" is the only love song in the musical, and it's writren so wonderfully - but it's not Sondheim's lyrics that carry it through. Depp is, of course, entranced by his tools but it is Helena with that look of longing, even obsession, on her face that commands the screen (er, where exactly was her Oscar nomination)...and I do love it when actors sing in counterpoint.

Helena Bonham Carter...I Love You...

Back when no one was reading, I posted my thoughts on Helena Bonham Carter. Here is the post in its entirety...

I was going to write about Kristin Scott Thomas, but I saw Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince yesterday and all my adoration of Helena Bonham Carter [or HBC] came rushing back and I decided I'd do her instead. While writing this post I realised that even though I have a few of her films on DVD, I don't have enough. I've got Sweeney Todd, Merlin, Live From Baghdad, Hamlet and Howards End. I don't know where the hell my copy of Fight Club is [somebody's got some explaining to do!]. But alas, I have never owned a copy of her best work - The Wings of the Dove on DVD, because it is unavailable in my country. Horrors. But I'm getting way ahead of myself. Let us take a walk down memory lane as we celebrate the beloved Helena Bonham Carter, Mrs. Tim Burton, Ms. Bellatrix Lestrange, Mrs. Lovett and so much more. She also happens to be Gemini like me which makes her extra special.
I'm not sure what my first meeting with HBC was, but I'll start with one of her early triumphs in A Room With A View where she played Lucy Honeychurch opposite Dame Maggie Smith. I suppose she was in a way overshadowed by her costars [it was her first film], but I still think HBC was wonderfully dainty as the London misfit travelling with her chaperone and cousin Charlotte. A Room With A View is a good film to check out if you haven't seen. And Twif you haven't seen...ummm why, not? Moving on about four years later when HBC tackles Shakespeare. For the record I will always prefers Branagh's Hamlet to Gibson's Hamlet. But I do enjoy HBC in the role. This was back in the day's when Mel Gibson was not a joke, but they did have good chemistry... and thank God she didn't play Ophelia like some simpering fool. Two years later she returns to Merchant Ivory gloriousness with Howards End which is one of my favourite films. It's also the best film Helena has been in, so you should check it out. She plays the sister of Emma Thompson as middle class 19th century Londoners who deal with the injustices of their society. Helena is completely mesmerising as Helen Schlegel. Once again no Oscar love was forthcoming despite the year being VERY weak. Still, she won in my heart. She continued for the next few years playing in some low key fare, earning a Golden Globe nod for a TV movie as the wife of Lee Harvey Oswald, and then playing Woody Allen's wife in Mighty Aphrodite.
But in was in 1997 that HBC gave her greatest performance earning her only Oscar nomination for The Wings of the Dove as a complex character Kate Croy. I have only seen this film once and if you have not seen it you should, if you have a chance to buy it, do so. It's delightful. One of the best of 1997 and despite not winning the Oscar Helena did win the NBR and some other critics awards. The next year she played Morgan Le Fey in the miniseries Merlin. That movie is rather gruelling but it's good and HBC is delightful as the lisping, demonic woman/child Morgan. This was actually the beginning of a whole line of revolting/freaky/outrageoys/crazy characters. Take for instance her work as Marla Singer in Fight Club... a performance that was worthy of an Oscar nomination I might add. HBC is all kinds of hot with Brad Pitt, despite a very strange character.

She earned a second Emmy nod for her performance in Live From Baghdad (pictures here), a political thriller of sorts but a good film nonetheless. It's a pity this couldn't have been a big screen hit. She soon got involved with Tim Burton and his pet projects, some were not right for her but she was outstanding in Big Fish, Sweeney Todd and Corpse Bride. If it's possible, this is her second best performance ever for me. I know this is an animated film but her performance as The Bride is so haunting. I wish this could have been a live action film, it could have been a great career opportunity for her.
Today I have to be satisfied with snatches of my beloved in Harry Potter films or whenever Tim Burton lets her out for play. Hopefully that TV production of Enid Blyton does not suck. Who knows? Maybe it could be Emmy bound since it seems that her Oscar hopes have all but gone. Still I continue to adore... and you should too. She's brilliant.

 I don't know what became of Enid Blyton, but HBC has The King's Speech coming out this year and I cannot wait...I adore her, and today is her birthday - she turns 44. If you could only watch one incarnation of dear Helen...which would it be?
         
REMEMBER this post is automated, I'll respond to your comments on Friday.

Tim Burton’s (Animated) Masterpiece…

…and I’m not talking about The Nightmare Before Christmas, which he didn’t even direct. I’ve said it before, I’m a fan of Burton even though I don’t love his work wholly. He’s no Scorsese – but, few are. The man has issues, but I think credit should be given where it’s due. It’s ironic somehow that my two favourite Burton pieces are two that I rarely hear people championing. I admitted my love for Big Fish before, and the 2005 magnum opus (I kid you not) that was Corpse Bride appears in my list of favourite films. It holds the distinction of being my favourite animated film. It’s probably not incidental that Corpse Bride features Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp – mainstays of Burton’s filmography. The film introduces us to a young man, something of a simpleton, set to be married. Whilst practising his vows in the forest he mistakenly gives the eponymous Corpse Bride the impression that she is the object of his desire – and thus, the drama ensues.

When we think of things that are Burton-esque thoughts of dark, somewhat macabre humour are evoked. We recall dark and gloomy sets with nary a piece of light, and of course we imagine a fascination with death and such things. Corpse Bride serves up all, and I suppose it’s easy to mistake it for Burton’s lack of wit or unoriginality. Perhaps, but each time I watch this film I’m constantly amazed at the complexity and sensitivity that Burton manages to infuse in an eighty minute animated tale. The atmospheric nature of it probably means that children will be diverted by the look of it, but Corpse Bride is not about the aesthetic – at least, not alone. Helena Bonham Carter is someone I’m very fond of, and her incarnation of the Corpse Bride is the strongest work she’s done alongside Burton – but for the whole animation glitch. There’s something profoundly real about the deliberate self-delusions she yields to and it’s precisely why the film is named after her, even if it takes some time for us to actually meet her. Her poignant departure from the film always moves me, even if it’s just a little too pat.

Speaking of that “pat” ending, I’m well aware that Corpse Bride is not without its glitches – but I suppose the fact that I like it despite them (or maybe because of them) that makes it a favourite of mine. It’s maddeningly short, so that just as you’re about to experience the first swallow of contentment it’s all over. And of course, because it’s animated, there’s the rare penchant to infuse it with some inane form of physical comedy, but Corpse Bride triumphs nonetheless. As someone who’s openly (but not on the blog) disliked Wallace & Grommit I consider it a great disservice to animation and Tim Burton that Corpse Bride lost that Oscar 2005. But, then again, isn’t that the usual? The decade ends and with its apparent sleight of hand in animation everyone remembers Pixar only and the odd Shrek or Fantastic Mr. Fox. When Coraline **came out least year (#3 of 2009) I championed it for its atmospheric similarities to Corpse Bride. Coraline didn’t win the Oscar either, so I guess Corpse Bride isn’t bad company…but it’s unfortunate that it’s rarely remembered when we stop to talk about the aughts and how it changed animation for the better. Corpse Bride is a proud entry in my list of favourite films at #32. Hopefully, I’m not the only one who remembers it with such fondness.

Alice in Wonderland

It’s been a month since Alice in Wonderland opened in theatres, so the dust has settled somewhat on Burton’s latest venture. I’ve known of the obvious months before; it is not really an adaptation of Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland – but a reinterpretation of it. The entire concept has been somewhat blurred because of the keeping of the tale’s first name, but judging Burton’s creation by the non sequitur format of Carroll’s classic seems a bit too harsh. I’m a bit of an indolent Burton fan though. I don’t rush to see his movies, but I’m always willing to support that the man is talented – I’d even credit him with a few favourite films of mine. The question of course is if Alice in Wonderland ranks there.

The story follows a grownup Alice, a number of years after he initial visit to Wonderland. Alice seems to be experiencing a form of ennui as she finds herself out of touch in her surroundings. A proposal from an officious boor precipitates her journey down the hole, to Wonderland. There, she experiences the same creatures from Carroll’s tale. They are the same, and yet they are different – just as Alice was. In fact, the running gag of ascertaining whether Mia Wasikowska’s Alice is the right Alice is well executed. Alice in Wonderland is designed to near perfection. The visuals are all impeccable and the set decoration is most impressive. I did not venture to see it in 3D (but I didn’t see that other big blockbuster in 3D either): I don’t feel as if I’ve lost anything, though. The visuals of wonderland are as realistically superficial as you would expect them to be, and Burton never gets lost in it – which had seemed like a possibility.

 

I’ll always recall my initial cinematic introduction to the story with much fervour, and like its predecessor(s) the thespians involved present significant help. Alan Rickman is quite comfortable as the know-it-all caterpillar as is Michael Sheen as the rabbit in the waistcoat, but it’s the darker images presented by the live action actors that stay with me. Johnny Depp is understated but not slight. It’s a strange performance, and there’s the feeling of craziness caused by overexcitement. I like to think as Crispin Glober’s Red Knight as his polar opposite and it’s a small performance that sneaks up on you, the thing is he is never given the chance to do it all and that final scene of his only suggests his underlying feeling about his state. In a way Mia Wasikowska is the reason for the good and bad in the film. She seems naïve enough for me to believe that a girl of her age would be as absent-minded, but I am rarely moved to be interested in her as a heroine. Alice has always been a reactionary role but I could imagine any number of young ladies in the role who would have attacked the role with a little more enthusiasm and a little less lethargy.

Of course, the pillars of Wonderland are the Red and White Queen played beautifully by Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway. Anne Hathaway has failed to impress me time and time (and time) again, but as the White Queen she lends an air of subtle sophistication that is most disconcerting and oddly chilling. Of course she is trumped by Bonham Carter’s excellent Red Queen, but so is everyone. The Red Queen falls just short of Helena’s other fearsome creation, but it’s never her fault. This is where my issues with the film lie. The entire story seems intent on reaching a profound climax of sorts, but the rudimentary conclusion where the “bad guys” are carted off by the decree of the “good guys” fails to impress me. It’s as if after an hour and a half of learning that even the worst of us have things that make them sympathetic Woolverton decides on a conclusion where percieved good is good and evil is evil – no middle ground. After Helena and Anne have done valiant work turning their sketches into people, she pulls the rug out from under them. This turns the film into a plebeian affair and makes the ending all too rushed and unsatisfactory.

When it ended it all finished I was reminded of Shutter Island. Scorsese crafted an excellent film held back by a stunting screenplay; Alice in Wonderland was the same. Burton does excellently on all technical counts, but a tawdry story makes it lose any substantial bit of poignancy. I can’t give Alice in Wonderland the B from Shutter Island either. Whereas I could see Scorsese working hard to combat his screenplay I have a feeling that Burton was all too willing to succumb to his. In retrospect I suppose it’s weird that I had this in my top ten most anticipated films of 2010. It wasn’t a disappointment in any way, but just as I expected it to be. But I guess my tastes have changed in those few months. It’s perfectly adequate, but I’m not zealous about it, and that's just howWasikowska seems tooo...

                   

B-*

             

ADDENDUM: I will admit though, if any thing leaves the stodgy storyline with unscathed it’s the costumes of Colleen Atwood. It is pieces like these that cement her reputation as one of the best of her trade.


*SECOND ADDENDUM: A rewatch with my nephews reveals that there is more fun in it than I gave it credit for, but the issues of the screenplay are even more awful to discern. Downgraded to a C+. 

A Different Tim Burton

If all goes well I should be seeing Burton’s Alice in Wonderland next week. I don’t expect the film to be perfect, and I won’t be angry if I don’t love it as much as I wanted to. It seems that so many hate Burton now and with the announcement of his imminent reimagining of The Addams’ Family (which I think could be excellent) the trolls have emerged; but I digress. Whenever I hear the claims of Burton’s lack of restraint I always feel the urge to slag someone off by citing my favourite live action Burton film – an imperfect masterpiece that thrills me as much as it moves me, 2003’s forgotten Big Fish.

Big Fish is a drama, a fantasy, a comedy, a romance and a mystery all rolled into one atypical bundle from Burton. It is the story of Ed Bloom a dying man forever at odds with his son. On his deathbed he tries to explain himself to his son. In this way Big Fish is two stories in one. On the most obvious of levels it’s difficult to believe that Ewan McGregor grew up to become Albert Finney, not because Albert Finney isn’t charming. To be fair Finney’s early work in Tom Jones is not that different from the young Ewan in the film. Finney just gives the feeling of a man whose light has been snuffed out for whatever reasons, even though he’s not unhappy. Jessica Lange plays brilliantly in the small role of Finney’s wife. I’ve always been a fan of Lange and her manner of imbuing so much emotion to a nondescript role is effective. As earnest and delicate as the times in the present are, it’s difficult to deny the sheer (aesthetic) brilliance of Big Fish when it retracts to the past. It’s a fanciful tale, but that’s precisely the point which is why Burton is so effective, but the present moments in their sombreness is done excellently. The visuals are an important of the film, but it’s the not the defining entity. That would be the acting.

Helena Bonham Carter made my top 5 of 2003 for her brilliant performance in a dual role. It’s the most sensitive role Burton has given her and she handles it perfectly. It’s difficult to balance her charm against the beauty and stability of Lohman/Lange and Carter never turns it into a cliché. Ewan McGregor gives his best performance as Ed. It’s that fanciful innocence that suits him, and even the accent tends to get obtrusive in some moments it’s still an absolutely brilliant incarnation and Albert Finney does so much emoting with so little time (this man continues to be excellent even in his old age). Big Fish also features Marion Cotillard in a small role as Billy Crudup’s wife.

I am a fan of Burton so I really can’t say whether or not I’m the most infallible critic, but then who is? Big Fish delights me and it stirs me. It’s an excellent creation and a treasure of the last decade as far as I’m concerned. It features on my list of favourites at #41.

2003: Written & Directed By…

Adapted Screenplay

Big Fish

Cold Mountain

Le Divorce

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Mystic River

Alt. Peter Pan, House of Sand & Fog, Freaky Friday

Big Fish was horribly snubbed by the Academy and every other major precursor in the big categories. It was an intelligent and poignant film and much of that depended on its screenplay. Easily the best of the lot for me, Mystic River and Cold Mountain battle it out for the runner up spot with the former just edging out in front.

          

Original Screenplay

Love Actually

Lost in Translation

Down With Love

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Something’s Gotta Give

Alt. Phone Booth, Finding Nemo, 21 Grams, Kill Bill

I never really went all out for Lost in Translation; it made me feel like I did with Sideways in 2004 – as if I was missing something. Down With Love had one of the silliest but self-aware script and it was second only to Something’s Gotta Give. I don't know, it's not that smart. But it hits me.

        

The Directors

Tier Two

Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation
P. J. Hogan, Peter Pan

Alejandro Gonzalev Inarritu, 21 Grams

Joel Schumacher, Phone Booth

Andrew Stanton, Finding Nemo

I almost had James Ivory here, but I switched to Hogan who did good work with his underrated piece. Inarritu almost made my top 5 with his good work in 21 Grams and Schumacher did good with the bluntness of Phone Booth.           
            

The Nominees

Tim Burton, Big Fish

Clint Eastwood, Mystic River

 Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Anthony Minghella, Cold Mountain

Gore Verbinski, The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black

An easy five, but it's easy to rank them. If I had to I'd throw out one I'd throw out Verbinski first. Not because he's bad, but because they're all good. Eastwood's Mystic River is my favourite of his, but he'd go next. The picture is good, his direction is not the driving force. Neither is Minghella's Cold Mountain - his screenplay is the beacon there. So it's down to Burton and Jackson and it's actually really tough. I'd say Burton just for the maturity of the piece, but I'd be lying. Jackson it is.

              

So what are your thoughts on my choices?

2007: The Directors

This is always a hard category for me. I know what I like, but is it always well directed. For that matter...what does well directed mean. I'll have to ponder that question someday. Maybe. Here are the good directors of 2007 for me.

                

The Finalists

P. T. Anderson for There Will Be Blood

It’s good to see him finally getting recognised. A period tends to do that.

                

Coen Brothers for No Country for Old Men

Second to Schnabel as far as the actual nominees were concerned. So I couldn’t grudge them their win. Well not much.

                     

Adam Shankman for Hairspray

The silliness is just what the story needed and he handles it well.

               

Vincent Paronnaud for Persepolis

It’s rare that I feel an animated film was wonderfully directed. But this is a rare film.

                           

The Nominees

Tim Burton for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

The man has his faults, but he knows how to use what he has to his advantage and he does it here. ‘My Friends’ is one of the best directed musical numbers in the last two decades. And imagine, it’s a song about singing to knives. That’s good direction.

Andrew Dominik for The Assassination of Jesse James

It’s painstakingly directed – in a good way. It’s obvious the effort that went into this, and for that as well as for the execution I applaud him.

Sidney Lumet for Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead

I suppose when you compare him to his contemporaries he’s not as refined, but it’s his style. The murky cinematography and the deceptive choppy editing is what makes him as good as he is.

Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell & the Butterfly

Such a cliché it is; but it’s obviously directed with a lot of heat and it’s obvious. It’s a great job from him, the direction is almost like a character alongside all else.

Joe Wright for Atonement

The landscape section is eye candy and you can’t help but get caught up. The scenes at war are poignant especially when juxtaposed with those flashbacks. The hospital is clinical as necessary almost frighteningly so. And Vanessa’s monologue is handled well. But I love those last few imagined moments at the cottage. Maybe it’s just improvisation, but they’re beautiful.

             

There were many good films…but only these nine made a huge impact on me in terms of palpably directing their films. But what do I know?