Is it wrong to dream of a career as a movie critic? Is bashing really unnecessary in personally assessing the quality of a film produced with truckloads of money which could have easily been spent on the welfare of the poor?
Quickly: the movie is a must-watch not because it is perfect (nothing really is) but the production has genius here and there and it is wildly entertaining.
I was initially excited to watch the movie because I have never seen any of the timeless tale remakes (Robin Hood, Mirror Mirror) that has been sprouting up these days. I was really into the dark magic, gothic, period quality in the film. And we can't not talk about the interesting assignment of roles, the girl who is perpetually poker faced on the Twilight series plays Snow White.
The movie is definitely not for kids. There is a lot of blood (not all coming from humans) and a lot of death involved.
Let me examine the film with the use of some of the film's characters. I am compelled to do so because the characters were very interesting in the film.
The Evil Stepmother/Queen Ravenna played by the gorgeous Charlize Theron
Her majesty queen starts off as an impressive portrayal. The genius of the wardrobe, production design of the movie becomes apparent with scenes that involve The Queen. (Take note of the scene where she bathes in milk (or some white paint) because although not entirely new, was very beautifully executed.)
Because the queen's power is mysteriously connected with avian entities, she will wear a gown made of black feathers. It was so nice. Sorry but my fascination with fashion must come through. It reminded me of an S/S 2001 piece from the awesome late Alexander McQueen.
For movies like this one, it was fairly easy to assess the production value by its ability to double as a fashion film. This Queen was so well staged it could have been an entire collection she wore inspired by her (also notice the bird skull details used on one of her gowns).
For the role, the shrieking and awkward intonation reveals a certain level of craziness from the queen but it becomes sort of repetitive approaching the middle of the movie. She keeps on shouting the same set of tones and volumes that you begin wondering if that was actually an accent.
Snow White by Kristen Stewart
One of the things that delayed me from watching the movie comes from several reviews that said Stewart's look was unsuitable for the role. I'm not sure if it is the affiliation with the bestial and necrophilic (but at the same time, a blockbuster) series Twilight that turned her into this actress unimaginable as a muse. And I was heavily distrusting her skills when it comes to screen acting. We can't say that she showed us a promising future with her previous performances. I'm sorry to make it sound like a pageant but let us place her beside Theron for a moment and ponder.
Then, after several scenes in the movie, it is apparent why Stewart was casted. Her look was different and this movie was supposed to be different. Stewart's image is pale, the red thin lips give an unconventional twist. Her not-so-feminine, introvert image was perfect for the Snow White they created. But the acting was just off.
When Stewart dares to veer away from her poker face, she shows a look that could only mean either "where the fvck am I?" or constipation. There are scenes in a lot of films where you have to get a very important yes or no from a character's facial expression and guessing from Stewart's face is just futile. I think that a perfect workshop for Stewart would be exposure to the average set of human faces and their corresponding meanings.
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| Even Stewart's comatose is not convincing. |
I don't hate Stewart but her performance did not deserve a lot of claps. Although I don't understand the reason why her fame rocketed I am still hopeful for some critical success in her career.
The Huntsman by Chris Hemsworth
There is some peculiar visual coordination between Hemsworth's physique and weapons with a handle.
His character is a drunkard who had a painful past - a background I am not a big fan of. The Huntsman kind of pops out of nowhere in the film which is sad because he plays such a significant role. It felt like his existence was solely to make a story therefore irrational. And the verbal background here and there doesn't do it. The guy is a good actor. He plays the role well.
The Seven Dwarves
I am sure that the developers of the film spent days on developing the dwarves' characters. They were adorable in a grown up man hero way which I am not particularly sure how to explain. They were nicely and smoothly included in the movie.
The movie has some hits and misses (like the Catholic Church references which were unwarranted). The hype was good that it led me to reading the lyrics of Florence and the Machine's featured song Breath of Life which I had liked long before the release of the film. The whole movie is watchable but the only problem is that there were a lot of cramped elements that made the film too short and hard to understand totally. Of course, there are films that compel you to complete them inside your head but this one just becomes "Eh, that is what it is." Still, it's a bad thing if you miss watching this movie.
One of the major reasons why I had to watch it:
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