Coraline, He's Just Not That Into You, film note
The fascination with stop motion by directors Tim Burton and Henry Selick is easily traced back to 1964's holiday special Rudoph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the beginning of a long run of similar specials from producers Rankin-Bass. ( Ironically, these specials were created in a variation on stop motion that the producers termed "animagic." ) Burton and Selick worked together on 1993's A Nightmare Before Christmas and each has gone on to other films utilizing the process ( James and the Giant Peach for Selick, Corpse Bride for Burton ) . But none of these movies has managed to stick in the mind as indelibly as the Rankin-Bass special from which they sprang. That is, until Coraline, Selick's latest foray into the process—this one, the first shot in 3-D. The movie's a gently twisted variation on Alice in Wonderland, and it's a charming winner.
The story centers on the oddly named heroine ( voiced by Dakota Fanning ) , a new resident at the eccentric Pink Palace Apartments whose distracted parents ( voiced by Teri Hatcher and The Daily Show's John Hodgman ) are constantly busy at their laptops trying to finish copy for a gardening catalogue. Bored and out of sorts, Coraline goes exploring. She meets a nerdy kid next door, her eccentric neighbors, the two theatrical sisters living in the basement ( voiced by the hilarious Dawn French and "Ab Fab's" Jennifer Saunders ) , a once-renowned circus acrobat living upstairs ( voiced by Ian McShane ) and a knowing black cat ( voiced by Keith David ) . Then she finds a little, Being John Malkovich-like door that acts as a rabbit hole to a new, rather trippy world that's a gloriously intoxicating doppelgänger of the one she's left behind. ( The garden and its exotic blooms, in particular, seem inspired by a very pleasant LSD trip. )
Each time Coraline goes through the vortex-like tunnel ( a pulsating combination of bright blue and pink that suggests Georgia O'Keeffe's painting, "Music—Pink and Blue II" ) the fantasy world gets more lush and inviting. A dazzling circus performance; a theatrical experience shared with an audience of flying terriers; and a room filled with the coolest toys, not to mention all her favorite foods, soon convinces Coraline that this is the place for her—until she awakens to its danger.
Though the film shares the same delight in all things gothic that Nightmare, Corpse Bride and Monster House did, Coraline is sweeter in tone and the visual panache ( helped by the 3-D effects ) is matched by a substantial story and a memorable leading character that one can root for ( and the crackpot eccentrics are a hoot, to boot ) . Selick has also gone with a delicate music score by French composer Bruno Coulais and They Might Be Giants that helps sustain the dreamy tone of the picture.
The film, adapted by Selick, is based on the graphic novel by Neal Gaiman ( which is darker and, in addition to Alice, has hints of Hansel & Gretel and even The Stepford Wives ) . Gaiman was also responsible for the source material for Stardust, the 2007 live-action fairy tale that is a classic of the genre but got unfairly overlooked by audiences. Hopefully, Coraline won't fall down another rabbit hole and suffer that same fate.
Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, Ben Affleck, Drew Barrymore, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Ginnifer Goodwin and Justin Long all take turns pontificating about love in He's Just Not That Into You, an all-star romantic dramedy based on a best-selling novel by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo.
The film relays a quartet of intersecting stories involving a group of friends and acquaintances living, sometimes loving and always kvetching in Baltimore ( far from the usual John Waters locations ) . All of them revolve around relationships or hoped for relationships at various stages. Goodwin, the most insecure character at the outset ( who, naturally, will be the one to find herself at the fade-out ) , narrates. Barrymore ( whose company also produced ) plays an ad rep at Baltimore's gay newspaper whose online dating life is vetted daily by a trio of limp-wristed, pearl-clutching gay co-workers ( Wilson Cruz, Leonard Nam and Rod Keller ) . The stereotypical portrayal of these characters isn't particularly surprising or offensive because the straight characters are predictable and clichéd, too.
Still, the picture's enjoyable in the easy, familiar way that many other variations on the original French play La Ronde have been ( think Love, Actually without the wackiness or British accents ) . None of the main characters are gay or are involved in anything other than typical relationships ( these folks wouldn't be caught dead at an after-hours sex club like those in Shortbus ) and the question of marriage—getting married, not getting married, giving up on a marriage, etc.—is the top angst-producing topic that engages everyone.
After watching this gaggle of straight folks go through all manner of anxiety about their unfulfilled lives—which they seem to mostly blame on the lack of a marriage license—I suddenly felt a sigh of relief. When the lights went up I turned to the female film critic next to me and said, "At last—a movie that's made me realize how lucky I am that I can't get legally married." He's Just Not That Into You—a nice, breezy comedy—once again reminds me that being straight ain't all its cracked up to be.
Film note:
Advance tickets for the Friday, March 6, opening weekend of Watchmen, the hotly anticipated sci-fi blockbuster that will play at the Navy Pier IMAX, are now on sale. The catch, of course, is that the tickets can only be purchased at the Navy Pier IMAX box office, 700 E. Grand. But fans will also get a chance at the first of six collectible character posters to be released weekly until the film's debut. Note: Advance tickets went on sale Jan. 30 so call ahead to make sure they're still available. 312-395-5MAX
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