I know it had a limited release run beginning September 30th, but it hasn't really been promoted despite being what looks to be an incredible film. Perhaps not successful, but a very noble attempt at surrealism, storytelling...something worth looking at for the senses and to scratch ones brains afterwards at what was either wrong or right about it. I first learned of the film when I had to process some books about the costume, cintematography, and story board this summer. It immediately drew my attention just because of how lush it was, but then I heard nothing more.

Not well reviewed interestingly enough, but look at these:






Especially coming from Henson's studios, i would have thought there'd be more publicity around it?

It's opening here the twenty first for a one week only deal, as far as I know. I'm definitely gonna check it out...been waiting for what seems like forever. I think it looks amazing.

No idea why it's been getting so little attention, honestly. Perhaps just no money/room to advertise or get many theaters so they just kinda shoved it out there. Maybe too 'out there' to hit big so they didn't bother. Too bad.

It opens in Portland on Friday. It would be my second in a double feature at the ten screener indie theater, the Fox Tower, but they'll be playing Good Night, and Good Luck starting Friday along with A History of Violence, both of which I NEED to see. Plus they'll also have Everything is Illuminated, which is also a priority for me.

It's playing at the Varsity, in Seattle.

Which is like my least favorite theater in the entire fucking city.

Wait for DVD for me.

Haha, oh man, I've got one of those too, what's the deal with that theater?

It's on Capitol Hill, which is fine, except it's only playing in the evenings, and there is no parking on Capitol Hill, and I don't like paying for parking and then walking 6 blocks to the movie theater which is on the top floor of a three story building.

Call me lazy...

And the screen and sound aren't worth it either...

I saw it this afternoon actually.

Meh. That would be my best reaction. It isn't bad per se, but it really lacks a lot. The dream sequences were so "out there" that at times they were too surreal. It dragged on a lot too in some parts. The entire "double universe" concept was quite interesting though and they did a pretty good job developing the plot. The acting was good overall. The effects were lacking and the creatures were decidely low-budget, but excusable considering it was consistant throughout.

Overall, I'd say a B-.

Review:

MirrorMask is Ultimately Empty

The theory of alternate realities and alternate universes has been a staple of science fiction for the best several decades. Recently it has even appeared in some popular scientific articles, and there are a great deal of not-so-fringe scientists who hypothesize that these could actually exist.

And it is this theory of alternate realities that takes a center point in the surreal fantasy-adventure film, MirrorMask. The film centers on Helena (Stephanie Leonadas), a 15 year old girl who lives with her traveling-circus family, though she openly wishes she could leave and join what she considers to be the “real world”. When her mother, Joanne (Gina McKee) falls ill, not long after she and Helena have a fight, Helena is upset and fears that her mother’s illness may in fact be her fault. The evening before her mother’s impending surgery, Helena falls asleep and is transported to a mysterious and surreal world. Filled with strange creatures, where all of the inhabitants where masks and where the Queen of Light and Queen of Dark (both played by Gina McKee) balance each other in their separate kingdoms. Just before Helena arrives in the land however, the Queen of Light falls ill and is unable to be awoken.

Helena soon meets Valentine (Jason Berry), a juggler who is at first skeptical of her story and the intentions of her journey. After Helena learns of where she is she soon attempts to find a way home, by way of the “mirror mask”, which she also believes will awaken the Queen of Light and restore balance to the land. From that point on, Helena must conquer various odds including betrayal and the increasing dark presence, while searching for the mask and a way for her to return home.

From director Dave McKean (N[eon]), the film starts out interestingly enough with an extremely creative but somewhat distracting title sequence. Once the credits have finished and the film begins it is clear that this is no ordinary fantasy drama. In fact, the term surreal doesn’t even begin to truly describe it. That is not to say that the film is without problems though, in fact in many ways to problems outweigh the strengths, which is unfortunate as it has an interesting concept.

The biggest failure of the film is the visuals. Produced by The Jim Henson company, controlling interest of the “Muppets”, one would expect superior creature design then what is presented. Unfortunately, the producers have opted to use entirely computer-generated creatures and that shows in many scenes. While the goal was obviously to create a visual world that would not be possible with real sets, many of the sets and creatures are so un-realistic that is causes the film to lose a great deal of credibility. In some cases the creatures are so obviously computer-generated that it detracts significantly from the otherwise well-produced film.

The other production qualities are actually a definite high point in the film included excellent costuming and makeup. The makeup work towards the end of the film is actually more imaginative then would be expected considering some of the earlier mentioned downfalls.

The musical score however is another downfall in the production. It isn’t the score itself, per se, but rather the method in which it was recorded for the film. While composer Iain Ballamy, whose only other credit is the 2002 film N[eon], uses a generally suitable tone for the film, it sounds almost as if it is entirely created synthetically. This is especially apparent during the opening credits and some of the earlier scenes before Helena journeys into the fantasy realm. The are other portions where the music is so poorly crafted to the scene that it causes scenes that should be emotional impacting to lose all sincerity.

The cast delivers generally solid, but also unspectacular performances overall. Stephanie Leonidas (Yes, the TV series ‘Brief Encounters’) delivers the best performance, as Helena. While at times her emotions are not quite sincere, she is possibly the most believable of all the cast. Jason Berry (Beyond Re-Animator, Chaos) delivers an almost equally believable performance as Valentine, Helena’s companion during her fantasy journey. The remaining cast, including Rob Brydon (24 Hour Party People) as Helena’s father and Gina McKee (Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood), deliver generally good, but not especially noteworthy performances. Brydon in particular is quite decent in his role but is not given enough screen time nor decent time to truly develop his character.

The screenplay, written by director Dave McKean and corroborator Neil Gaiman, is decent but not especially inspiring. The characters are poorly developed, and often times their actions are not explained well enough to justify them. The dialogue is decent, but once again not note-worthy.

Perhaps the biggest problem is that the film tries to hard to be surreal that it loses touch with the audience. The plot isn’t particularly exciting, though based on an interesting concept. That might be excusable though if the visuals had been awe-inspiring or if the cast delivered exceptional performances and drew one into the characters rather then the visuals. Sadly, neither of these are true and the film ends up somewhere in between captivatingly surreal and decidedly boring. Running a bit on the long side for the type of film at 101 minutes, it could stand to have been edited to allow for a smoother overall flow of the story.

Overall, while MirrorMask is a generally well-made film, it is empty at the core. An interesting concept sadly could not be translated to an exciting film. While visually it is captivating at times, one can’t help but feel detached from the events on screen, instead of caring for the characters. Mediocre writing and character development, visuals that are good but unspectacular and an overly long middle segment cause the film to be disappointing overall. It therefore rates as a B-, but its subpar realization of the initial concept prevents it from earning a recommendation.

MirrorMask is a Sony Pictures Release. Rated PG for some mild thematic elements and scary images. Running Time: 101 Minutes.
Review © Jeff Schade