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Sunday, February 27, 2005
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
What? I liked it. Loved it even. And nevermind that it was sad. The resolution at the end was good enough. Besides, how else would you be able to show just how talented the Baudelaire kids are in their being an inventor, a reader and a biter (?) if you don't put them in life or death situations wherein they have to work with minimal resources? I was planning on staying away from this thing altogether, but now I'm glad I didn't. I might even borrow the books from my friend.
Nothing but praises for all the actors and actresses. Jim Carrey really annoyed me and scared me at the same time. And Meryl Streep was just hilarious. The kids were great too. Liam Aiken was way cute, and I think it's his best role to date. Even Jude Law, who was really just a silhouette, did very good in narrating the story. I really liked the last lines he would say before a new scene/story starts--"two words" or "two things" or two anything. I like word play like that.
The effects were fantastic as well. The part with the storm tearing down the house, and when the leeches were eating their way through the boat, plus the scene where Klaus was at the tower and his head blocked out the light at first, and that's when he realized what the big lens at the window was for. Also, the scene at the end wherein the children walked inside their house and saw the place as if nothing had changed, and then it slowly morphed into its present state--burned to the ground.
It was so creative that the girl is the inventor--as in the one who tinkles with machines, and that the guy is the reader, instead of the other way around like it is in most stories. And the scenes with the books coming out of the shelves were also my favorite. That effect was way cool.
Everything was great. The places they went to, Violet's costume, hairstyle, and those wicked awesome spyglasses. Maybe it's just me, but I really love mysteries and stuff like that. Especially characters like that--smart characters, all useful even in the weirdest and most 'unfortunate' of situations.
I even liked the drama part at the end where the children read the letter from their parents; "Always remember that no matter where you are, as long as you're together with your family, you're home," it had said (from what I remember at least). Although it seems too sentimental, it was the perfect motivation for the Baudelaires to never lose hope. And as simple as the film's quotable quote may be, I really think it's enough, to leave a helpful lasting thought (or give something to think about) to the people who give up too easily--"There's always something."
It's better than the usual "Never give up," and "Follow your heart," lines. I could always follow those lines up with the question "Why?" But this one, well, it's actually an answer to the 'why' question. And even if you can follow it up with the question "What?" you can always say that the answer to that really depends on the situation you're in, and so you say a general word like "something" so as it will apply to everything.
I think this might even go to my list of favorite movies.
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