Director:
Robert Zemeckis
Actors:
Jim Carrey, Steve Valentine, Daryl Sabara, Sage Ryan, Ryan Ochoa(View All)
Description:
Jim Carrey stars in the animated retelling of Charles Dickens classic novel about a Victorian-era miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions.
A Christmas Carol Review
I came to this film expecting clichés, perhaps slight jumps later overtaken with fuzzy warmth and overt joy which is present in the majority of Scrooge adaptations.
However, what I found was a bleak portrayal of Victorian London seated in compromising realism, with a bleakness and grim nature which was both enthralling and quietly disturbing. As the movie continued, it moved into uneasy territory with the three ghosts, whose presences were both comforting and fearful.
I guess I should talk about the Marley scene. This was terrifying, with it’s lingering silences and intense anticipation of his visit. The door knocker was a definite jumper, making me literally leap out of my seat. The guy’s actual appearance was creepy, with his slowly decomposing corpse and dragging chains wound around his body. In a specifically disturbing scene, his jaw unhinges itself, cracking open his cheeks and his hands act like a flapper so he can speak.
Yuck.
All humour displayed in this piece is pitch black, with no cutesy critters or double edged one liners. The first ghost, usually predicated as the gentlest, is strange, with his flickering head and discerningly humorous face. One of the more shocking scenes is where all the faces of the past flicker on his features in a grotesque morphing session. Despite his pathos, he is not without his darker side.
Things get worse with Present. He’s less of a jovial, benevolent spirit but more a commanding judge with a harsh kindness, dripping with malice in later scenes and having the most haunting death I’ve seen in a while. And an interesting take on Ignorance and Want, as we actually see what is to become of them in adult life. One of the more disturbing scenes, due to it’s truth not just in Victorian London but in society today. On a side note, Present’s booming, musical laughter is turned upside down in this version, transforming it into something manic and unnatural.
The scenes with Future are scary, and laced with an unpredictable edge. Though yes, we have chase scenes and miniature adventure, but the threat is still very much there and these scenes meld effortlessly into the story, merely adding another abstract element to the picture. Future is portrayed as the traditional grim reaper, but his “shadow form” is frightening on a subconsciousness level, and his bony, coal coloured pointer he has for a finger is something that caused shudders for myself.
Jim Carrey plays a brilliant Scrooge, portraying him for the nasty miser that he is (this Scrooge is absolutely detestable) but with pathos and humanity, whilst also being a mixed batch with the ghosts. Past is a breathy Irish which locks in nicely with the ghosts otherworldly state, but Present….I’m not exactly sure what Present is, but hey, it works well.
Gary Oldman does a mediocre Crachit, but really shines as Jacob Marley, from his bizarre manner to his varied, ghastly voice. The other gifted cast perform their roles effectively. The setting and animation is magnificent, the location of London captured with full flair. Scrooge is brilliantly animated, so much that the other characters suffer in comparison, but it is not really noticeable. Motion Capture is a mixed bag, but it works wonderfully with the mood here, adding a sub human quality which frankly I enjoyed.
People complain about the lack of emotional fuzziness this story lacked, but I felt it did it well, though differently. The sorrow of Scrooge’s past was subtle and underplayed, to the cracking in the old school house’s walls to Scrooge’s vast isolation in the world, as everything is large and ominous around him. Frightening, but poignant as well.
The abstract nature of this film gathers the idea of a dreamlike, supernatural journey which I absolutely love. Scrooge’s fear is our fear; his journey our journey, and whilst others didn’t feel the “emotional attachment” it was though the experience of travelling with Scrooge could the audience form an connection and sympathy with the old skinflint.
A stylistic, beautiful, dark piece of art. Sad, profound and terrifying, tackling human themes with no compromising coziness. I love it for that reason, and personally, I thought it was fantastic. Not without flaws, but that depends on how you take it.
*DO NOT SHOW THIS TO YOUNG CHILDREN.* It is bluntly horrifying and disturbing in parts, and the whole mood of the film will not appeal to HSM obsessed youngsters. For its themes and imagery, it should have really be a 12. But for those who fancy a unique, challenging take on an old classic, I highly recommend this.
Browse
Advertising
