| Product: |
Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium (DVD) |
| Date: |
04.01.08 (46 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: magical, sweet, tender story, great acting, good effects, good soundtrack....
Disadvantages: Not the easy laugh some expect from film
One of my favourite Children's films is Hook starring Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman, and Hoffman's quirky performance is a major contributing factor in this. In his role as a Children's story villian, he managed to encompass everything magical that we should expect from kids films, but so rarely get these days. Since first seeing Hook, I have been anxiously awaiting his next offering of fairy tales and children's fantasy cinematography. It was primarily for this reason that I was aching to see Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium from the moment I say the trailer.
Writer/Director: Zach Helm
Actors: Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Jason Bateman, Zach Mills
Genre: Family fantasy/Comedy (and a bit of a tear jerker if you are as unstable as I am!)
Classification: U (Suitable for all ages)
UK Cinema Release date: 14th December 2007
Run Time: One hour and thirty-four minutes
What's it all about?
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Mr Magorium has finally worn out his last pair of shoes and at 243 years old, he takes this as a sign that his days as magical toy store owner and indeed his days on Earth are over. Determined to get his affairs in order, he hires an accountant (or Mutant as he is referred to) to sort out the books before he bequeaths the store to Molly Mahoney, the young, talented piano-playing manager of the store. However, the store doesn't take kindly to Mr Magorium's plans and throws a tantrum leaving the future of the store in serious doubt.
Who is Zach Helm?
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As a director, this film was Helm's first. As a family film, this was Helm's first. As a Writer, this was only his second film, the first being 2006's Stranger than Fiction starring Will Ferell and Queen Latifa. Yet, despite being relatively wet behind the ears in Hollywood terms, at 32 years old, he has managed to get himself noticed in the difficult film industry over the last 5 years. Esquire Magazine named him in their Best and Brightest list in 2004 while Fade In Magazine placed him on their "100 people in Hollywood you need to know" list the same year and again in 2005. Now the Hollywood bible, Variety Magazine has caught on and named him as one of the top 10 writers to watch.
With three industry nominations and one win under his belt for his Stranger than Fiction screenplay, it seems likely that his is a name we will be hearing more often over the years.
Did the story/script shine?
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It seems to me, when dealing with kids' films, Hollywood more often than not, takes the easy way out with the general rule of "keep 'em laughing and they won't notice the lack of a good story." To do this, children's comedy has become increasingly slap-stick with endless jokes about breaking wind, or characters either having one disastrous accident after the other or trying to out-insult each. It isn't often that a film gives kids credit for being able to follow a more gentle and endearing story without falling asleep in boredom.
Mr Magorium's doesn't take the easy route. This is a tale about magic and believing in yourself, about having fun and using your imagination, about challenging the limits and about seeing the good in each other and inevitable situations, like Mr Magorium's demise.
Although there is certainly humour peppered throughout, it isn't really the films strongest point. What is, is the tenderness with which the concept of death is handled and the focus on the beauty around us that we so often take for granted. There is a strong message of love and kindness and caring for each other which can so often be missed in this day in age. The idea that although the inevitable end of one story can be sad, it is important to remember, with each ending comes a new beginning is a wonderful message to our kids and it is handled with great care. It is a lovely sentiment that thanks to the goofy nature of the characters and the light-hearted and sweet script doesn't overpower the film, allowing our wee ones to enjoy the pure fantasy of it all.
Did the actors/characters sparkle?
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I was blown away by the warmth evident between the characters and a genuine feeling that the actors all seemed to like each other and be enjoying the experience of making this film.
I was mildly disappointed that Dustin Hoffman (Mr Magorium) wasn't in the film longer but his performance was all that I hoped it to be. With a soft lispy voice and mischievious grin, he was a very likeable character you couldn't fail to warm too. Above all Hoffman made Mr Magorium seem like he was having a ball every minute of everyday. Apart from the sweet and silly side we were first introduced to, Hoffman also pulled off the more serious side with great class. His last scene had me bawling into my popcorn, but I still had a smile on my face.
Natalie Portman (Molly Mahoney) is a beautiful girl and she seemed to almost float in this film. For the part, she was perfect although her role was fairly well supported by the others taking some of the pressure off. When acting with any of her co-stars, she came to life and was a joy to watch, but when appearing on screen on her own, without the others to bounce off of, she fell a little flat. Sadly, her performance in the last scene, which should have been the most beautiful piece of the whole film, was a bit wooden and unnatural looking. She just appeared a bit to choreographed on occasion.
I have always felt Jason Bateman (Henry Weston) was one of those actors just waiting in the wings for his chance to prove himself. With the help of the critically acclaimed TV show Arrested Development under his belt, he has clearly gained some credit in Hollywood and rightly so. The contrast of his straight-laced, efficient and right-brained character against the wacky backdrop of the Emporium was brilliant. Of all the characters, we had the pleasure of watching his develop the most. I was impressed that even as a humourless, grey accountant Bateman still held that glimmer in his eye which gave the audience a sliver of hope for him yet.
Zach Mills (Eric Applebaum) is a talent to remember. He will without a doubt be on our screens a great deal in the years to come. At 12 years old he has a charm on screen that we would expect from a veteran of the silver screen. He is relaxed and comfortable in his role as the eccentric young shop assistant who struggles to make friends with kids his own age. It is very easy to become absorbed in his play on screen. I for one was almost immediately taken in by his endearing, quirky, hat-collecting kid who clearly doesn't recognize how unique he really is. He made this film for me.
Did the cinematography and soundtrack bring the magic to life?
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In order to make the magic of the store come across on stage, the production designed Therese DePrez, Costume designer Christopher Hargadon and Visual Effects Designer Kevin Tod Haug worked closely together to develop a rainbow-hued fantasy world for the audience to enjoy.
Making a toy shop that doesn't stock the latest Nintendo Wii Game, or have a DVD section appealing to young viewers is not an easy task and it took a fair amount of creativity on the part of the Mr Magorium's team. Contrasting the brightness of the colours in the magic world against the grey and muted tones of the real world was key to bringing the film to life. Taking it one step further and establishing mood and genuine sentiment purely through the use of colour was inspired.
The toys which for the most part would be considered old fashioned today come to life through wonderfully choreographed movements. It was like watching the whole set dance. I won't even get into how wonderful the wall of stuffed animals was with top marks going to one sad little monkey in particular.
There were times when it felt as if there were too many things going on at once. I got worried I would miss something clever in the background as so much was happening independently of each other, but at the same time.
The soundtrack composed by the talented and successful Alexandre Desplat and Aaron Zigman was as enchanting as it needed to be. Their music offers a touch of imagination and fantasy and should please most film music fans. Like the film, the music takes us on a journey. It has a dreamy quality which adds the necessary whimsical tone to the film.
My final thoughts - what really counts
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I have heard people compare this film unfavourably to Johnny Depp's Charlie and the Chocolate factory and I'm not entirely sure I understand why. The two are very different films. Mr Magorium's never tries to be the big spectacle piece that Charlie and the Chocolate factory was. It is a much more intimate film which as an audience member I felt connected with. There is a genuine fondness for the characters and the story and the warmth is infectious.
This is a wonderful film for dreamers and idealists like me. Give yourself over and get swept away with the magic.
Summary: Mr Magorium is ready to hand over his toy shop to Molly, but is the shop ready?
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