ENTERTAINMENT. 22. JULY 4 – 10, 2012. The Epoch Times. Victoria Ku. Pixar's
first heroine has been greatly anticipated for a long time and she has finally ...
22 ENTERTAINMENT
The Epoch Times
JULY 4 – 10, 2012
Movie review: ‘Brave’ Pixar features first heroine. Victoria Ku
P
ixar’s first heroine has been greatly anticipated for a long time and she has finally arrived in Brave – a heartwarming, fable-like tale about courage and pride. Sassy and as bold as her bright red hair, Scottish princess Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) loves adventure, archery and freedom. When she is told by her parents, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson) and King Fergus (Billy Connolly), that she will soon be married off to a son of one of the kingdom’s lords, Merida storms out of the castle and attempts to search for her own fate. Marriage is the last thing on Merida’s mind, even though her mother has been training her to be queen her entire life. Things start getting interesting when she crosses paths with a suspicious old woodcarver who claims she can help Merida get her wish that her mother “will change”. Brave directors Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman creatively insert plot twists that are sure to entertain and surprise the
audience. This storyline is tightly wrapped around the mother-daughter relationship of Merida and the queen, sharing a few reminiscent qualities with Tangled. The stunning animations done by Pixar studios beautifully portray Scotland’s terrain and bring its people and history to life. Merida is an immensely fierce and strong character, complex enough to be appreciated by an older audience, but stubborn enough to appeal to younger audience members, who may likely relate to her “That’s so unfair!” arguments with her mother. Ms Macdonald provides the perfect accent and energy to Merida’s voice. The entire vocal ensemble is very fitting, including Ms Thompson as the mother struggling to break through the communication barrier between her and her daughter, and Mr Connolly as the easy-going parent. Merida’s three younger, mischievous brothers don’t share much of a vocal presence, but their little gags and tricks provide great laughs from beginning to end.
Courtesy Disney/ Pixar
(L-R) King Fergus, Queen Elinor and Merida in the animated action-adventure ‘Brave’, a film about a determined princess who must rely on her bravery and archery skills to undo a beastly curse. The Scottish authenticity of the animations is breathtaking and even the cultural jokes are done tastefully. The strong sense of community among the characters and their connection to their Scottish roots is very prominent. One thing that really stands out about Brave is the musical score written by Patrick Doyle. He captures the essence of Scottish heritage music and still keeps it fresh for modern-day audiences. A host of excellent qualities can be found in Brave – the action, the humour, the characters, the story and the morality. This fantastic animated picture moves at a quick and steady pace, and it nails the humour without sacrificing the emotion and lessons about pride and family.
Brave can easily outshine any other animation feature for originality and heart, but may seem slightly underwhelming only when measured by the audience’s expectations of Pixar and alongside previous classics such as Toy Story and Ratatouille.
Courtesy Disney/ Pixar
Merida in the animated action-adventure ‘Brave’.
Brave Directors: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman Cast: Kelly Macdonald, Julie Walters, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, John Ratzenberger Rating: PG Length: 100 minutes
Movie review: ‘The Woman in the Fifth’ Joe Bendel Tom Ricks is a writer, so he must be a little off. With only one obscure novel to his name, the American cuts an underwhelming literary figure, but he has enough issues to earn a restraining order from his French wife. Following her and their daughter to Paris does little for his overwrought state of mind in Pawel Pawlikowski’s The Woman in the Fifth. Less than thrilled to see him, Nathalie Ricks promptly calls in the gendarmerie. Beating a hasty retreat, Ricks finds himself penniless at the flophouse motel run by the gangster Sezer. To pay for his room and board, the novelist accepts a job working as a sketchy subterranean watchman for one of Sezer’s criminal endeavours. He figures it will give
him time to work, but his writing is definitely not of the healthy variety. The only bright spots are his semi-regular assignations with Margit Kadar, an elegant and alluring widow of a Hungarian novelist perhaps even more obscure than Ricks, living in Paris’s 5th arrondissement. While his ex shuns his reconciliation attempts, Ricks attracts the romantic attention of Ania, the Polish immigrant waitress at Sezer’s tavern, who also happens to be the mobster’s lover. This profoundly destabilises the novelist’s situation. It also starts a chain of events leading Ricks to suspect that a hitherto unknown force is meddling in his affairs. Based on the novel by Douglas Kennedy, Fifth blends elements of genre cinema in ways that would
be spoilery to discuss in detail. However, Pawlikowski is more interested in presenting an extreme psychological study with a distinctly Continental art film sensibility than aiming for mere thrills or chills. Never rushing the revelations, Pawlikowski still deftly creates a sense that all is not right with his protagonist and his world. Leading a multinational ensemble, Ethan Hawke, with his terrible French accent, is effectively moody and withdrawn as the socially problematic Ricks. Polish actress Joanna Kulig is also quite credible as the glammed-down Ania. Yet Kristin Scott Thomas is the crucial piece of the film’s puzzle. Always an intelligent presence, she is absolutely perfect cast as the sophisticated Kadar. The audience instantly shares
Ricks’s interest in her – and of course her accent is always flawless, in both French and English. The film’s slow build and emotionally detached approach to Ricks’s existential drama might be difficult for some viewers to wholeheartedly embrace. However, it is a smart, stylish film. Indeed, cinematographer Ryszard Lenczewski’s chilly grey colour palette nicely suits the on-screen mystery and alienation. It is the sort of film viewers will kick around in their heads for days after screening it, which is an increasing rarity. Highly recommended for fans of European cinema with a dark twist. Joe Bendel writes about independent film and lives in New York. To read his most recent articles, please visit: jbspins. blogspot.com.
Courtesy ATO Pictures
Kristen Scott Thomas in the thriller ‘The Woman in the Fifth’, a film about a college lecturer who, after fleeing Paris, meets a widow who might be involved in a series of murders.
The Woman in the Fifth Directors: Pawel Pawlikowski Cast: Ethan Hawke, Kristin Scott Thomas, Joanna Kulig Length: 85 minutes Rating: R for some sexual content, language and violent images
