Alice in Wonderland - Tim Burton

***

Genre : Children, Adventure

Release : March 24th 2010 (in France)

Directed by Tim Burton

Written by Linda Woolverton

Based on the work of Lewis Carroll

Music composed by Danny Elfman

Starring Mia Wasikowska as Alice; Johnny Depp as The Hatter; Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen; Anne Hathaway as The White Queen; Crispin Glover as Stayne

Synopsis : Alice is now 19, and returns to Wonderland, world she discovered when she was little. But she doesn't remember. She meets the white Rabbit, Twindle Dee and Twindle Dum, Absolem the blue caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat and the mad Hatter. Alice finds herself in a story where she has the main part. She has to end the Red Queen's reign by killing the Jabberwocky.



What I think

I've heard a lot of bad comments about Alice by Tim Burton. That it was not Tim Burton like, too colourful, etc. Comments too on Johnny Depp who doensn't make anything new.

Well, I see Tim Burton's mark in this film, without a doubt. The scenery are all Tim Burton, the dark atmosphere too. About the colour, I would say, hey it's Alice, so it is colourful, that's normal.

But I was waiting for Alice in Wonderland, and it is Alice's return to Wonderland...

I liked the film, but it's not my favorite from Tim Burton's. There were a few moments when I was bored.

I loooooooved Johnny Depp, as talented as ever. But I'm a little doubtful about Mia Wasikowska and Anne Hathaway. Helena Bonham Carter is absolutely wonderful with her big head;o)



I was disappointed about the music. I knew Robert Smith (The Cure) had written a song for Alice. And there is a soundtrack CD with rock bands, but they do not appear in the movie. Only Danny Elfman's music. So why make a CD? I wonder... Another marketing approach without a doubt!

Big Fish - Tim Burton

*****

Genre : Tale

Release : Decembre 10th, 2003

DVD : April 27th, 2003

Directed by Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare before Christmas, Corpse Bride)

Written by John August( Charlie's angls, Charlie and the chocolate factory, Corpse Bride)

Based on the novel by Daniel Wallace (Big Fish)

Music composed by Danny Elfman

Starring Ewan McGregor as Edward Bloom young ( Trainspotting, Star Wars, The Island), Albert Finney as Edward Bloom ( Erin Brokovitch, Ocean's Twelve), Billy Vrudup as William Bloom (Everyone says I love You, Almost Famous, M:i III), Jessica Lange as Sandra (Cape Fear, Broken Flowers), Helena Bonham Carter as Jenny and the witch (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Corpse Bride), Danny DeVito as Amos Calloway (Batman Returns, Virgin Suicides), Marion Cotillard as Joséphine (A Good Year, La Môme), and many others...

Synopsis : William's dad is dying, so decide to pay a visit, he hasn't talked to him since his mariage with Joséphine. Edward has spent his life telling everyone fantastic stories filled with extraordinary people : a giant, siamese twins, a witch whose glass eye show you your death...But Will would like to know at last the true story of his father, and this is where he discovered that everything was not a lie...

What I think : That is pure Burton, tales, magic, endearing and fantastic characters, we even say to ourselves that it is not possible that it can be an adptation;o) The choice in the actors is very well thought, just like all Burton's films, with on top of that a young french actress. A very beautiful tale, a big adventure, we meet wonderful characters and really real. What I like in Big Fish is the way Edward tells his stories, embellishing the facts, with a lot of embroidery, but finally the facts were real somehow, it makes things magical... I especially love the end, when Will himself tells his dad's last story, how he ends up changing into a big fish, and the moment where fantasy and reality meets with all the characters of his stories come to pay him their last respects.
It's a wonderful film, but despite the aspect of tale, we can find as in most Burton's works, a more philosophical message, a criticism of human beings, of society, especially a call for tolerance. Indeed, Edward is the most tolerant man, giants, freaks, witches, werewolves, no difference for him, we are all human beings. A call also for imagination, don't give up on your dreams, make them become reality, even if only for you.
Well, all that is only a personal vision of the film, of course. But in any case, I love it and I recommend it from the bottom of my heart. And what's great with Burton, it's that there are several levels of understanding, what makes his films within the reach of everyone, adults as well as children;o)
And for music-lovers, wonderful (like always!) compositions by Danny Elfman.

Note : Big Fish by Daniel Wallace has been waiting in my personal library for quite a long time, and maybe I should read it some time, ouch! too much books are waiting for me!

Opal Dream - Peter Cattaneo

****

Genre : Drama

Release : 2006

DVD : 2006

Directed by Peter Cattaneo

Written by Phil Traill, Peter Cattaneo and Ben Rice

Based on the novella by Ben Rice (Pobby and Dingan)

Starring Sapphire Boyce as Kelly-Anne Williamson, Christian Byers as Ashmol Williamson (soon in December Boys), Vince Colosimo as Rex Williamson (Chopper, The Nugget) and Jacqueline McKenzie as Annie Williamson (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The 4400)

Synopsis : The Williamsons live in Lightning Ridge, a small australian opal town where everyone family owns a small part of the mines. Kelly-Anne is seven and has two best friends, Pobby and Dingan, imaginary friends, until they suddenly disappear after going to the mine with her dad. For her parents, that's a good thing, maybe a new start for her, but Kelly-Anne can't get over it and falls very ill. Her dad is involved in a lawsuit because he's accused of stealing someone else's opal when he was simply looking for Pobby and Dingan to help his daughter. Ashmol, Kelly-Anne's big brother, decides to look for the invisble friends by himself to help his sister get better...

What I think : This is a wonderful film, I cried my eyes out in the cinema, fortunately I always go to the cinema on sundays, so that there are not many people;o) The story is really beautiful, and it shows how people can sometimes be cruel, but despite all that they also can be very nice, when they think. We also finds here the power of imagination children possess, how they can make things real for them, but unfortunately it seems that we lose this capacity when growing older. What a loss! I discovered only recently that the film was based on a novella by Ben Rice, Pobby and Dingan, and I really really want to read it, just to see if it would make me cry as much as the film did;o) I'll tell you that later...