Enchanted
Friday, 14 Dec 2007 14:55
Patrick Dempsey's bewildered Robert is enchanted by Amy Adams' Giselle.
i>Directed by Kevin Lima, out Friday December 14th, in cinemas, starring Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Timothy Spall, Susan Sarandon, running time 107 mins .
In a nutshell...
Fairytale princess meets modern prince
What's it all about?
When archetypal fairytale princess Giselle (Amy Adams) is banished by the evil queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) from her twee cartoon world to the scary reality of modern New York city, the young innocent can't help but be overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple.
After bursting into the lives of workaholic lawyer Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and his six-year-old daughter, Giselle struggles to reconcile her storybook ideals with a world not quite used to people bursting into song apropos of nothing.
When the bombastic Prince Edward (James Marsden) ignores his menacing mother in a bid to rescues Giselle, she is left to choose between the prince charming she's been dreaming of - as she tells us in song, of course - or the tetchy attorney who's captured her heart.
Who's in it?
With her distinct resemblance of a Disney princess, the adorable Amy Adams is a perfect choice for the wide-eyed innocence of Giselle. While she never really gets to show off the dramatic acting chops that earned her an Oscar nomination for 2005's Junebug, her irrepressible childlike wonder is consistently rewarding. The Golden Globe nomination is undeniably deserved.
McDreamy himself, Patrick Dempsey, does a fine job as the romantic lead while James Marsden displays hitherto unseen comedic talents as the quintessentially flamboyant Prince Edward.
Though Timothy Spall's comic abilities are gloriously evident, the rather cartoonish aspect of his put-upon sidekick begins to drag and Susan Sarandon is predictably scary and vampish as the evil stepmother but seems almost a footnote to the romantic thread of the plot.
As an example...
Giselle: "What sort of awful place is this?"
Robert: "It's reality."
Giselle: "I think I'd prefer to be in Andalasia."
"It appears this odd little box controls the magic mirror." - Prince Edward gets to grip with the remote control.
Prince Edward (mid-song): "You're not singing."
Giselle: "Oh… sorry… I was… thinking."
Prince Edward: "'Thinking'??"
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
Though it's far too firmly in the romcom genre to merit any serious consideration, the animatronic achievement of Pip the chipmunk deserves some recognition, while Lima shows a superb eye for mise-en-scene, layering the musical numbers with a heady air of Busby Berkeley and displaying a talent for tenderness during the romantic scenes.
What the others say
"It's essentially, y'know, for kids, but the dedicated fairy tale fan will have tons of fun spotting all the references. Adams, meanwhile, gives one of the comedy performances of the year." - Olly Richards, Empire
"While there's plenty of well-played adult humour, this is unreservedly a kid flick for the tens and under. Despite all its flaws, however, it's held together by a wonderful performance from Amy Adams, and supplies enough hints that maybe one day, Disney might once again be a force to be reckoned with… " Dave Golder, SFX
So is it any good?
Very much so. As wonderful as the capabilities of CGI masters like Pixar are, it's superbly refreshing to be reminded of the wonder of classic Disney animation in the opening nine minutes and then the innovation of the concept comes to life as Giselle is thrust headlong into the confusion of Times Square, an unpleasant enough place even if you don't come from a fairytale kingdom.
A classic fish-out-of-water comedy ensues and it's chock full of references to Disney classics, but to the point of homage rather than parody. And as Adams wreaks her sugar-coated magic over the malcontent residents of New York, only the hardest of hearts could fail to be won over, especially in a sprawling musical number in Central Park.
While Adams is a constant delight and Marsden consistently hilarious, the weakness of the background actors betrays a lack of directing nouse on Lima's part and to cast Idina Menzel, one of the finest stage performers working today, and then not even afford her one song, is criminal.
But these criticisms are mere nitpicking over a Christmas comedy that manages to achieve the 'fun for all the family' tag without being sickeningly syrupy. In the hands of another director or cast, the attempt to mesh Disney fairytale with modern romcom could have fallen horribly flat. But with Lima's evident love for the Mouse House legends redolent in every frame and Adams turning in a comedic performance that spots in Talladega Nights and The Office had only hinted at, it's a commendable achievement.
One of the most enjoyable Christmas movies in years.
8/10
Lewis Bazley
Click here to watch exclusive clips from Enchanted.
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