THESE FELLAS NEED NO INTRODUCTION : "WALLACE AND GROMMIT – THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT"

I do not know a single person in the UK who doesn’t let out an exclamation of delight at the mere mention of Wallace and Grommit. I’m not entirely sure how well they travel but here they are almost universally adored. I mean, I’m sure there are some “haters” out there somewhere, stop-motion animation is not everyone’s cup of tea (or so I am told. I don’t see how this is possible but you know… It takes all sorts…). But the humour, the characters, the sheer imagination involved in the series combined with the decidedly British sense of humour… You can’t beat it. You really can’t. Not in this neck of the woods anyway. That’s why I have always thought a proper “film” (as in feature length) of the series was long overdue. Now, I know that this one has been around for quite some time, but just never got round to watching it until recently. I was later surprised to discover a few friends of mine who hadn’t heard of it at all. Hence, here is my review of it ASAP. This is definitely one you NEED to know about.

We return to the world of Wallace and Grommit, in their same old house in the same sleepy little town. As we all know by now, the professions of this gruesome twosome tend to change from episode to episode however, and the flavour of the week is humane pest control. You see, this particular little town is very much into its gardening but as it so happens it also has a big problem with rabbits – who aren’t, as you probably know, very conducive to gardening. But never fear, Wallace and Grommit will not only safeguard your garden, they guarantee that no fluffy bunnies are harmed in the process. You may, at this point, be asking yourself what exactly they do with the bunnies once they are caught. That, my friends, is the 64 million dollar question. Wallace and Grommit do not, as such, quite know what to do with them either. But they are under a tad bit of pressure to figure something out fast, not least because the annual giant vegetable competition is approaching. The entire town will be participating, as usual, and the last thing anyone wants is an outbreak of rabbits. Wallace, always the inventor, does not despair and continues trying to work something out. It is during these endeavours that the duo unwittingly unleash “the curse of the were rabbit”. As if normal rabbits were not causing enough trouble…

What I like the most about Wallace and Grommit is that it is, to my mind, one of the best examples of family-friendly fun. And having, alongside the brilliant Peter Sallis, a constant of the show, names like Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes lending their voices to the characters only improves matters – if that were at all possible.  I know what everyone is always saying these days about children growing up so fast and not being as “naïve” as we were when we were their age but still. Given half a decent chance, audiences of literally ALL ages could enjoy Wallace and Grommit. Like a lot of good animations, the adult “in-jokes” are there, kept at a “decent” level, but providing not a few giggles along the way as you go. Besides, it is really what Wallace and Grommit is all about. It’s almost a sort of return to a more innocent time a bit pastoral, small town life and all that.  A return, brought rather smartly up to date with the fact that Wallace is the archetypal “absent-minded inventor” along with your typical country bumpkin. How do these two co-exist? If you don’t already know, it’s high time you found out…

For the fans, I’m delighted to tell you that this film is everything we know and love about Wallace and Grommit. I believe it was last week that I was mentioning how it’s good to have some “comfort films” close to hand where you know exactly what you’re about to see and in fact are watching it BECAUSE you know what you are about to see as it were. And this film is filled to the brim with the Wallace and Grommit type humour we all know and love by the bucked load. I don’t want to give too much in the way of the storyline away, simply because I was completely blindsided by, shall we say, a development in the story, providing the perfect surprise mid-way.

In short, if you’re a Wallace and Grommit fan, you will love it. And if you’re not a fan, well, this might be the day you become one. I promise you, you won’t regret it.  

A STEP INTO THE PAST AND OUT OF THIS WORLD : "CORPSE BRIDE"

I know. I can’t quite believe I missed this one either. I mean, it’s Tim Burton, it’s an animation, it’s a musical… What more can one want from a film?  I mean, fair enough I didn’t know it was a musical until I actually started watching it so I might as well give you a heads up too. But for me, that kind of thing is more of a pleasant surprise. And of course Johnny Depp is, as always, there in the foreground along with Helena Bonham-Carter - so, the usual suspects. Not to say that Tim Burton is getting cliché (because he is not), you know what elements usually come up in a Burton movie by now – and I don’t just mean the actors. It’s the atmos, it’ s the wonderfully imaginative storyline it’s the brilliant animations… If all these things aren’t as “superlative” for you as they are for me, well, you have a problem. If, however, you know what to expect and can’t wait to get your grubby paws on it, well, step right on in.

Back in Victorian England marriage was just as much a matter of business as it was a matter of love. In some situations this state of affairs remains today. But our story today is particularly interested in one such “business” marriage in a small village in Victorian England. Victor (Johnny Depp), the son of the newest “nouveau riche”s in town is to be wed to Victoria ( Emily Watson) , the daughter of an old aristocratic family who is very down on their funds. However, when nervously practicing his wedding vows in the seclusion of the forest, he inadvertently marries a corpse. Now, while this doesn’t seem like the easiest of mistakes to make, it is a lot tougher to actually undo what has been done. The Corpse Bride (Helena Bonham Carter) has long been waiting for her true love to come along when she got jilted by her lover when she was alive and she is determined not to let Victor go. Thus whisked down to the underworld Victor now faces a rather novel set of problems. Not least how to get back, as his “living world” wedding is supposed to be taking place in a matter of hours…

First of all, fans rejoice. This is, as I said at the beginning, everything a Tim Burton film should be. And despite great talent, it can be touch and go. Take for example, a later burton, “The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”, yet another musical starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. It has all the ingredients, and yet… I don’t know. Was it my moo when I watched it? Was it something else? Something was missing. There wasn’t that “va-va-voum” we’re used to. But this one has it. If you feel like dropping out of the real world for a few hours and taking a wild journey into the imagination of one of the most creative minds of our generation, this is the fella for you. You will laugh until you cry. And in bits, you might cry when you’re not laughing. I must admit, yes there were tissues involved in my experience. But then again, that subtle play on the heartstrings is the other reason I like Burton so frigging much.

I don’t want to give too much away because imaginative twists and surprises are a staple of this film. But just one small note. If you’re slightly worried, from a feminist point of view that the film boils down to two women fighting over Johnny Depp, fear not. The film has little to do with marriage in fact, as far as its main message goes, and a lot more to do with letting go of your past to be able to move on in life… You’ll have to watch it to see what I mean, but it’s really quite something. Trust me on this. 

TRUE STORY WEEK : THE KING'S SPEECH

A TALE OF TRUE COURAGE – THE KING’S SPEECH
The King’s Speech… What a phenomenon that turned out to be, eh? It has pretty much wiped clean all the major award ceremonies of the season! I don’t claim that every film that ever won an award has to be good, but there were a few reasons why I simply HAD to see this film. First and most importantly, George the 6th of England is by far the historical personage I personally admire the most – more on that later. Secondly, Colin Firth. He is brilliant, he is good looking and anyone who has seen the film tells me his acting was AMAZING in this film… Thirdly, well, every single one of the awards can’t have got it wrong, surely? So I went. I was so deeply affected by it that I’m actually finding it tough to write a review on it… It touched me to the core of my soul…
Bertie – the future King George the 6th – is a quiet man. He is happily married and loves his two daughters, he performs his duties as second in line to the throne as best he is able and lives very happy with the fact that his brother David will succeed the throne and not him. His one problem is though, that he has the most terrible stammer. His wife summons an entire army of doctors, simply to no avail until they meet Lionel Logue (the brilliant Geoffrey Rush). Bertie is definitely NOT amused at the first consultation, but Logue persuades him to carry on. Their work however – that is making good progress – takes on a new urgency when history dictates that Bertie will have to take to the dreaded throne after all. Will Bertie and Lionel be able to battle Bertie’s many demons – including his stammer ? If so, how?
This is the true story of a very unusual, yet truly deep friendship. It is also a story of true courage. This is precisely why I admire George the 6th so much. You see, the world is full, full to bursting with bad things… Battles are plentiful and courage is necessary , even more so if you are to be head of state. However the toughest battles anyone faces are without a doubt, those people have with their selves. Our fears are with us constantly, and the ways we choose to cope with them may well lead us off our chosen path, away from our vocation and happiness. Bertie was made fun of all his life because of his stammer – can you imagine what a dent that would make in anyone’s confidence? Yet he then had to stand up and make speech after speech to his public, this was especially more important seeing that the Second World War had just begun and the public looked to him for direction. Bertie hauled himself up by the bootstraps, conquered his own fears, shyness and even his stammer up to a point and was one of the most popular kings of British history… If that doesn’t deserve respect, I don’t know what does…
And the film? Well… Colin Firth is AMAZING. The thing I found remarkable was that how he was able to “be” Bertie without actually physically looking like him that much… From beginning to end, it was just brilliant, one of the best acting performances I have seen. Ever. Helena Bonham-Carter is also sweet as his wife, standing by him, supporting and comforting him through his trials. Her mimics however have taken on something of Johnnie Depp’s I thought at one point… But they do work together rather a lot, I guess that was unavoidable. Then Geoffrey Rush… Well, the man is so damn good; he almost goes without saying, if you see what I mean… You know what this film is like? Ok, you know how watching a good film gives one a sense of “being full” emotionally. This film is like this too. But this is not any old meal… Not even a steak dinner. This is nothing less than a royal banquet from beginning to end. Do NOT miss it…

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Ok, on with our weekly dose of escapism! And surely when it comes to the fantastical and magical there is no master who could truly compete with Mr. Tim Burton… And anyone who is a fan (and anyone who has a liking for fantastic films, is I find) had their eyes out on stalks when news that he was filming Alice in Wonderland surfaced… I (and indeed a goodly portion of my office) was counting the days to release, although by some twist of fate, I missed the 3-D or IMAX version and had to watch it on DVD. I am not a massive technophile (as you may have noticed) but I really would have liked to have given this a spin in 3-D. Oh well… So, I purchased the DVD, waited for an opportune moment gathered the family round the TV set when said moment arrived and then “went for it”. And yes, it was naturally phenomenal even in 2-D.

So what’s the plot? Surely, I hear you cry; surely we all know the story of Alice! Cut to the chase – get to the gossip! Well actually no, it’s not exactly the Alice story you’re thinking of. (This is Tim Burton boys and girls, have some respect, WOULD he do a dry old re-make?!) It’s Alice a good many years later. Alice is 19(and is acted by Mia Wasikowska - of whom I am pretty sure we'll be hearing more) and on the verge of getting married to Hamish, her father’s old business partners (old because her father has passed on and the partner has now taken over the business leaving Alice and her family in a very “difficult” position.). She has strange dreams about falling and rabbits in waistcoats but on the whole, dismisses them as dreams. She is rather unlike young ladies her own age – but that people think is largely the fault of her rather eccentric upbringing. She has, on the whole, a normal life until she is tracked down by her old acquaintance the White Rabbit and is swept back to Wonderland – for a mission awaits her there. The Red Queen (Helena Bonham-Carter – who is fast becoming an obligatory fixture in Mr. Burton’s works. But they do love each other and she is the mother of his children so I can sort of understand I guess… Besides she does make a rather scary Red Queen), anyway the Red Queen rules Wonderland with an iron fist and the “rebels” such as the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp – another obligatory fixture in Mr. Burton’s works. Not that anybody’s complaining, I mean, Champagne and strawberries, coffee and cigarettes, Depp and Burton – some things were meant to be together… Who, me biased?!!), the March Hare, the Door mouse and the Cheshire Cat (who is voiced over – or voice overed - by Stephen Fry and is my favourite animated character in the film) need Alice’s help to defeat the Jabberwocky (‘Twas brillig and the slithy toes jired and gimbled in the wabe… Oh come on now, I know you haven’t forgotten really!) and help get the good White Queen (Ann Hathaway) back on the throne… But can Alice adapt to Wonderland again and save the day?

Now, on reading this, you can actually be forgiven for crying “Blasphemy!”. In all honesty it can’t be more different from the original Alice story – the children’s classic beloved by anyone worth knowing (my own humble opinion). In fact, it actually sounds like a rather bad sequel, or something hurriedly adapted off another classic Hook. Try and look beyond it though. Think of this particular version of Alice in wonderland as the combining of two great imaginations – Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton. Mr. Burton takes the characters invented so very many years ago by Lewis Carroll, and uses extraordinary actors and modern technology to take them one step further, to make them bigger and better and more colorful… I mean, you may say that technology has its limits while the imagination does not; however, when Tim Burton’s imagination is the hand using the technology, let me tell you the limits are pretty damn blurry. In this context, even the fact that the film blends the characters from two separate books (Alice in Wonderland and Alice through the Looking Glass) doesn’t really bother one. It’s a magical, wonderful, colorful world full to the brim with delightful details. Speaking of details – not that these really count as details but they are not things you notice at once either – the cast doing the voiceovers for the animated characters are BRILLIANT. I’m on IMDB as I write this, checking the list and dear God, Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman (Snape from the Harry Potter movies), Barbara Windsor (Peggy from Eastenders), Paul Whitehouse (a comedian I’m particularly fond of but probably will mean very little to anyone outside the U.K) and Timothy Spall (whose name you won’t recognize but face you immediately will, especially if you watch British T.V).
In short, you will simply get carried away by it. I mean, I watched the film with my 87 year-old grandmother for God’s sake, and even SHE adored it!