Susan Hated Literature

Well, I did the books so now I’m turning my attention to the films. And in no particular order my top films of 2006 are:

• The Departed^[1]
  Violent and great. But must be call “The Depaaahrted” for proper effect. Both DiCaprio & Damon were great, but the whole supporting cast were fantastic.
• Pan’s Labyrinth^[2]
  I loved this film. Visually stunning, and with a great story as well. Brilliant.
• Little Miss Sunshine^[3]
  Just wonderful. Funny and touching and so watchable. And another film with a great child actor, Pan’s Labyrinth being the other.
• United 93^[4]
  This may be here because of subject matter rather then purely the film, but I still think it deserves a mention. Gripping both because of the drama/tension raised, but also because of what you know happened.
• Severance^[5]
  Because who doesn’t love a silly gore-filled comedy. Not quite in the same league as Shaun of the Dead but I loved it all the same.
• Superman Returns^[6]
  Not perfect, but pretty damn close. Let down by having Bosworth play Lois Lane, but I thought that Routh was perfection as Supes.
• The Wind That Shakes The Barley^[7]
  This is one that’ll feature in quite a few history classes over the coming years I’d guess. The Irish civil war in all its violence and brutality.
• El Lobo^[8]
  Another Spanish language film, this time set in the 1970’s, and involving terrorism. Didn’t know anything about it before going it, but thought it was a very good film.
• Junebug^[9]
  This was just lovely. Yes, it is a quirky independent film but don’t hold that against it.
• The Proposition^[10]
  Nick Cave writes a film, we’re all expecting darkness, and that is certainly present. Very violent and harsh, but a great film.
• Mirrormask^[11]
  It may be a little similar plotwise to films like Labyrinth but this is still a great film in its own right. Great visuals.
• Merry Christmas aka Joyeux Noel^[12]
  This came out in 2005, but I didn’t see it til Jan 2006, so it still makes my list. Set in the trenches of World War I this is a story based on the true-life unofficial truce between the opposing sides of that war, and it makes for a great film.

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• Stephanie Leonidas - Helena
• Gina McKee - Joanne
• Rob Brydon - Helena’s Father/Prime Minister
• Jason Barry - Valentine

I’ll admit to being a Neil Gaiman fan, so I’ve been waiting for this film for quite a while, and although I try not read reviews of films I haven’t seen, I had read a few negative remarks about this film.

However, I am pleased to report that the film lived up to all my expectations.

Helena is a circus girl. Her father and mother run the world’s greatest “small Big top” but all Helena wants is to be a normal girl, to live in the real world. Not to have to deal with punters and put on a show, but to simply live her life. And as with any teenage girl she has arguments with her mother. And during one such argument her mother, Joanne, uses that old cliché “you’ll be the death of me”. Helena instantly responds that she wishes she was.

And it looks like she might get her wish, as that evening in the middle of the circus performance Joanne falls ill and is taken to hospital.

Ten days later she is still there, undergoing tests and about to be operated on, Helena is living with her nan, and the circus is about to break apart due to financial pressure. At this moment Helena finds herself transported to a strange world.

A world where everyone wears a mask, and thinks there is something wrong with her face. A world that is out of balance and where the shadows threaten everything.

At first she believes this is all a dream, but gradually Helena comes to believe that this weird world is as real as her own, and even worse, that there is an imposter in her place back at home, in her real world.

I really enjoyed this film. There is wonderful sense of humour to much of the dialogue, Valentine in particular got quite a few laughs from the audience. But it is the look of the film that really commands attention. That combined with many of the strange, but wonderful, creatures. The monkey birds, for example are captivating, with their “bobbing” and “welcoming”. And the sphinx, wonderfully brought to life on the big screen.

All the actors do a great job, Stephanie Leonidas plays Helena perfectly, from the rebellious teenager aspect of her personality, to the worried daughter, and everything in between. Rob Brydon’s role isn’t the largest, but he still manages to make quite an impact, as the slightly too romantic father. But for me Jason Barry was marvelous. For the most part his character wears a mask, hiding most of his facial feelings, yet the viewer could still empathise with him.

The weakest part of the film is probably the storyline; a fantasy world in need of saving, a sense of not belonging, and of finding one’s place. All of these aren’t exactly the most original, but the way they are put together makes them new and interesting.

IMDb | Neil Gaiman’s Journal | The Art Of Dave McKean | SF Signal | Stainless Steel Droppings |

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“Graphic novel innovators Dave McKean and Neil Gaiman (creators of “The Sandman” and “Violent Cases”) have fashioned a fluid visual style with endless curves and no right angles. Cats with wings eat books that fly, giants float in the sky like parade floats, and monekybirds stalk the city”

It is from a review of Mirrormask on the Hollywood Reporter site.

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