Monday, August 20, 2007

Star light, star bright

For those who missed it, Stardust came out last weekend. As usual, I am always a bit behind with getting to see movies, so I only got to see it this past weekend, but I was well prepared for a great time thanks to several friends' reviews.

Unlike some folks, I will leave a detailed dissection of the plot out of my review and simply say that this movie is a stunning and rich spectacle. One friend of mine referred to this as "This generation's Princess Bride" and I have to say that is an apt description. Stardust is an intelligent, witty, and wise production that explores the real world through the interface of a smartly crafted fantasy realm.

While I was suitably impressed by the visuals, for me it is always about the story, the acting, and the direction (after all, even dreadful movies have great visual sequences these days thanks to ever cheaper CGI effects). Whether you were looking at the big names or the small ones, the actors did a bang-up job in this film. Notable performance from Michelle Pfeiffer, Peter O'Toole, and Robert DiNero polish up the equally well done works of the rest of the cast. Physical comedy melds seamlessly with dry British wit, and even the sweet scenes of romance and love are not overdone.

I highly recommend this film, and, given that it was written by Neil Gaiman, the novel as well.

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