Into the Woods (2014)

3/5

Into the Woods is a musical fairy tale that revolves around a baker (Corden) and his wife (Blunt) who cannot seem to get pregnant. They discover that a curse of infertility has been placed on them by the witch living next door (Streep). The only way to reverse it is to bring her ingredients from other fairy tales: Rapunzel's hair, Little Red Riding Hood's little red riding hood, Jack and the Beanstalk's white cow, and Cinderella's slipper.

The film version of Into the Woods suffers from the fact that it was made by Disney. The play's raison d'être is to satirize the overly-romanticized fairy tales on which Disney prides itself, to make them darker and dig deeper into their sentimental "happily ever afters." Disney's version is no longer edgy; all the adulteries and deaths are cleaned up and hidden so that the film will be appropriate for little kids. There is one glaring exception to this general sentiment and that is the Big Bad Wolf. Johnny Depp somehow manages to turn the character of a hungry wolf into a stalker pedophile, which would be uncomfortable to watch in any film but is downright disturbing in a Disney film.

As if that wasn't enough to ruin the movie, they cut out my favorite part. In the original production, the narrator eventually becomes part of the action and gets killed in the ensuing chaos. There is no narrator in Disney's movie. (Well, there is, but he's not a character involved in the story.) The worst!

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1951265/

Nine (2009)

4/5

I am a huge fan of Rob Marshall's Nine. It has been poopooed on by Negative Nancy film critics on each and every print and web publication, but I don't really care for their elitist perspectives, and neither should you. Nine is engaging, entertaining, and enlivening. It is full of energy and style and does not apologize for being in your face. I loved absolutely every minute of it. The movie is an adaptation of a Broadway musical based on a classic Italian film by Federico Fellini called 8 1/2. For any true lover of cinema, you are pretty much required to see 8 1/2, but that doesn't mean you're required to appreciate it or even like it. For my part, I both liked and appreciated it, and yet I find Rob Marshall's Nine to be a more accessible and more enjoyable version. No, it's not "better" than 8 1/2, but I feel more inclined to watch Nine with my friends (especially non-cinephiles) than 8 1/2.

The plot follows director Guido Contini (Day-Lewis) as his producer is pressuring him to make a new movie by creating a gigantic set, a poster, and a press conference even though Contini has no script and no concept. Stressed out, he runs away from Rome and tries hiding in a spa resort, asking his mistress (Cruz) to come while suggesting his wife (Cotillard) stay home. Eventually his producer finds him and brings the crew and set over so that he can continue his work. I'll leave the rest of the plot unstated and let you enjoy the rest of the movie yourself.

The acting was magnificent, as expected based on the Oscar-heavy cast. Marion Cotillard is a marvel, and I have become a complete fan of her acting after seeing this movie. She is soft and tender and fierce and sweet and everything you can imagine all wrapped up in an angelic visage and portrayed to perfection. I don't think I would have loved this movie nearly as much had she not been cast. Technically, the movie is more than competent. From his experience adapting musicals, I expected the costuming and makeup to be excellent--and it was. However, the cinematography, lighting, and editing impressed me because I never considered Marshall to be a particularly cinematic filmmaker. But here he has proved me wrong. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the songs blew me away. They're catchy and powerful and memorable.

However, the picture is not all rosy. I feel like some characters were miscast, specifically Daniel Day-Lewis. He does a fine job to the best of his ability, but he just doesn't fill out the character as I would have expected and would have liked. Javier Bardem (Marshall's original choice) would have been perfect, and would have given Cotillard a run for her money as the best part of the movie. Additionally, Nicole Kidman's role was relatively minor and the love between her character and Day-Lewis's didn't resonate as being believable. Still, even as it is, the movie is phenomenal. Watch it in theaters while you still can.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0875034/