February 16, 2009
I suspect this is about to disappear from the cinemas so I urge you to go and see it on the big screen before it's too late. Eliza Bennett is a splendid heroine, entirely believable as a twelve year old demanding to know the big secret that has blighted her young life and taken away her mother, feistily refusing to sit in the van while her father faces unknown dangers. Brendan Fraser, a much more sensitive actor than he is usually given credit for being, was excellent as her father - sympathetic and grounded. He was allowed to have feelings for once, instead of pounding everyone into submission with his fists, and he did well. The real star turn was however an edgy, complex Paul Bettany as Dustfinger, treading a delicate line between hero and villain. He was quite unbelievably gorgeous in those scenes where he is required to juggle with fire - I would definitely pay to see those again!! :) Helen Mirren did an entertaining impersonation of Dame Edith Sitwell; the lady who played Meggie's mother was also splendid and, as noted by Pamplemousse, very touching.
Far be it from me to disrespect a best-selling author, but it seemed to me that the flaws of the movie were inextricable from those of the book; namely, a rather daft premise (if you know that when you read aloud the characters from your book will come to life in your world then surely you are never, ever going to be stupid enough to read a story like Inkheart out loud) - and an equally daft baddy in The Shadow. Still, these don't detract from the the fact that the film is well worth a viewing.
Far be it from me to disrespect a best-selling author, but it seemed to me that the flaws of the movie were inextricable from those of the book; namely, a rather daft premise (if you know that when you read aloud the characters from your book will come to life in your world then surely you are never, ever going to be stupid enough to read a story like Inkheart out loud) - and an equally daft baddy in The Shadow. Still, these don't detract from the the fact that the film is well worth a viewing.