Mirror Mirror

MIRROR MIRROR

Funny and fresh, Mirror Mirror reflects humor along with stunning visuals.

2012: Relativity Media

2012, Fantasy/Comedy, Rated PG

Distributed by Relativity Media

           Leave it to Tarsem Singh to direct the most visually pleasing film of the year so far. The director has introduced us to some stunning worlds, including the mind of a serial killer in 2000's The Cell. Mirror Mirror, his latest effort, is much more light-hearted than The Cell, but full of just-as-arresting visuals and set design.

          The movie opens with a quirky animated back-story of how the queen came into power. The queen, played by a deliciously evil Julia Roberts, keeps Snow White, a gorgeously dark-haired Lily Collins, locked up in her palace because she wants to be the most beautiful woman in the world and Snow White is the only one who could surpass her. The queen is only in power because she married the King and then he mysteriously vanished in the woods, leaving his daughter in the hands of her evil stepmother. The film follows the queen's attempt to marry a prince, played by Armie Hammer, in order to get rich. The prince and Snow White fall for each other however, so the queen gets very angry and attempts to thwart the romance. Snow White is helped along by seven dwarfs, of course.

          The only issue I had with this film was occasional weak dialogue. The story was actually quite interesting and moved at a brisk pace, weaving through the kingdom and the dark forest beyond. Although Julia Roberts plays the queen very well, some of her dialogue felt hollow, and occasionally, like it could have been much funnier. She is almost too mean to Snow White. She lacks enough character development for us to really understand how she could be such a heartless jerk. The town she rules over has literally no money and yet her palace is ridiculously elaborate and clean. This makes no sense.

          Tarsem Singh lends his usual gorgeous visuals to the story and they payoff greatly. Every scene takes place in a setting the viewer has never before imagined. From the forest to the dwarfs' home in a tree, from the dance hall to the palace, every set piece is perfect for the story and style of the film. Costumes were excellent, worthy of the Costume Design Academy Award, and creatures were expertly animated. The dwarfs run around and loot travellers on stilts that were incredibly real looking. Many times I couldn't tell if they were practical or digital. I believe they were a prefect mix of both. The mirror that the queen talks to is not a mirror but a doorway. She walks through it an into a creepy and dank wooden hut surrounded by grey water. Inside, a pale and stripped-down version of Roberts patiently waits to answer questions. In one action scene Snow White and the dwarfs are attacked by two giant wooden voodoo dolls/puppets controlled by the mirror version of the queen. This was a highlight in the film. The action was exciting and the giant puppets were incredibly well-animated. Every scene has some visual to marvel at, too many to mention here.

          Julia Roberts does an excellent job but, like I said, her character was a bit underdeveloped and her dialogue was at times weak. She really pulled it off though with what she was given. Lily Collins was superb as Snow White, bringing a modesty and beauty to the character that I have never encountered in any retelling. The dwarfs were great too, all of them good actors and filling their diverse roles well. Nathan Lane turns in a predictably funny and charming performance as the queen's right-hand man. Most impressive in the acting category, however, was Armie Hammer as the prince. He is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. He showed us all, twice over, what he could do in The Social Network, and here he is in a totally different kind of role. It's a light-hearted romantic lead, sweeping Snow White and the audience off their feet. At one point the queen attempts to seduce him with a love potion but she mixes up the vials and gives him a "puppy love" potion instead. Words can't describe his performance after that, but based on my description, you can imagine how he behaves.

          One of my favorite aspects of this film was the love story between Snow White and the prince. They fall in love and want to be together the moment they meet. There's none of that getting to know you routine that appears in many movies like this. Usually the lovers don't like each other for most of the movie and then realize that they actually are in love toward the end. They were like a couple of teenagers, which they really are, falling head-over-heels for each other. It just felt refreshing to see love depicted that way, and then watch them fight to be with each other through the whole movie. I really wanted them to end up together, so watching them fend off the evil queen was that much more satisfying.

          All in all I'd say this is totally worth your time. Mirror Mirror piles on the laughs and displays a gorgeous visual style that only Tarsem Singh could pull off with such bravado. All the actors turn in perfect performances and adventure and romance abound in this quirky update of the Snow White tale.

          Side note: Sean Bean of Game of Thrones plays a predictable but fun cameo.

         

          Another side note: Snow White and the Huntsman hits theaters this Friday. I will do a comparison to see which update does Snow White the best.