Into the Woods (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Musicals. I tend to love, or at the very least, enjoy them. We had two earlier this year: 1) Clint Eastwood's Jersey Boys. The verdict: eh, okay. And 2) Annie. The verdict: apart from Quvenzhane Wallis, ugh. Now we have a 3rd, 'Into the Woods' (based on Stephen Sondheim's popular 1987 Broadway show, directed by Rob Marshall, & produced by Disney studios). The verdict: Finally, we got a good one! 'ITW' is a dark, subversive musical take on various Brothers Grimm faerie tales (and the like) in which the traditional notion of "happy endings" is completely upended. The first 2/3 of this film is frothy, witty fun. But boy do things take a turn in the final 40 minutes; where proceedings get as grim & macabre as Disney would allow.
More on the macabre later. Sondheim's rousing 15-minute "Act One Prologue" opens the film with our main characters unleashing their staccato-driven refrains of "I wish ... I wish ... I wish". The clever plot concerns a humble Baker (James Corden) & his sweet-natured wife (Emily Blunt), whose attempts to have a baby have failed. Into the bakery whirls their enigmatic neighbor, the spell-casting Witch (Meryl Streep), who explains how she cursed the Baker to have no children after his father stole some magic beans from her garden many yrs. ago. The only way the curse can be undone is for them to go into the woods on a quest to collect 4 pertinent objects for her in 3 days time: "The cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, & the slipper as pure as gold".
The cow comes courtesy of farm boy Jack (of beanstalk lore), well-played by Daniel Huttlestone; he was also the loveable street urchin in 2012's Les Miserables. Jack must enter the woods "... to sell his cow" at the behest of his mother (Tracey Ullman). The cape refers to the outer-wear donned by Little Red Riding Hood, amusingly portrayed by young Broadway vet, Lilla Campbell. She is venturing into the woods "... to grandmother's house". The yellow hair is provided by the tower-trapped Rapunzel (pretty MacKenzie Mauzy), who was raised by the Witch as her own daughter. And the slipper comes courtesy of Cinderella (the infectious Anna Kendrick), who is desperate to escape from the clutches of her wicked stepfamily (Christine Baranski, Tammy Blanchard, Lucy Punch) and longs to meet Prince Charming (cheeky Chris Pine) "... at the festival!"
Each ensuing song gives the film a breezy, near-reckless sense of narrative momentum. All their paths converge deep into the woods; a scary place where our protagonists meet and go on to lose both their literal & moral bearings. Eventually, everyone's "wish" comes true, but 75 minutes in, a devastating "earthquake" occurs that is triggered by a furious - and vengeful - lady Giant (Frances de la Tour, who - funnily enough - played a giant in the 4th Harry Potter film). The film takes a dark turn, looking at the ramifications of these characters' actions; reminding us that not every tale ends with Happily Ever After. Couples split up (literally & figuratively), characters are abandoned, & major players suffer cruel fates.
"Your Fault" is a great rat-a-tat musical number that humorously, if also soberly sums up the bind that the Baker, Red Riding Hood, Jack, & Cinderella have gotten themselves into; each pointing fingers at one another, only to find the blame thrown back in their faces by the "not nice", but "right" Witch as she blasts into her tour-de-force (if somewhat overblown) rendition of "Last Midnight". But the death, havoc, & disillusionment eventually results in a communal healing process that will ring true to audiences who've been exposed to the chaotic aftermath of tragic disasters. Though portions of the last act are emotionally resonant, I wasn't gaga over this grim half hour or so. The mood/proceedings come to a halt and I found myself longing for the narrative surprise & lightness of tone that first 2/3 exhibited. That said, the film does end on a beautiful note with "No One Is Alone".
Best in show for me is Emily Blunt. So lovely, so natural. I enjoyed her "Moments in the Woods", as well as her playful duet "It Takes Two" with James Corden. And audiences will be touched by her sympathetic, heartrending portrayal. I was blown away by Meryl Streep's maternal lament in "Stay with Me". Her quirks as the old hag amused. And I marveled at her physical transformation. Anna Kendrick is immensely likeable as the confused-in-love Cinderella. A pompadoured Chris Pine preens, poses and - ahem - 'pines' for Cinderella as vain Prince Charming. I enjoyed "Agony", the hilarious duet he shares with Rapunzel's hunky prince (Billy Magnussen) as they compare female heartaches. Johnny Depp is charismatically creepy in a cameo as the lecherous Wolf who lusts after Red Riding Hood; though, the manner of his 'hunger' is up for interpretation. And Christine Baranski made me laugh as the stepmother who covets a prince for her dim-witted daughters.
Despite some relatively static camerawork, 'Into the Woods' impressed me visually with gothic production designs, rich costumes & spiffy CGI. Sondheim's intricate lyrics & lush orchestrations sound wonderful in the theater. The music is melancholy & thoughtful; causing us to re-evaluate & re-interpret these faerie tales. I like that 'ITW' tackles themes concerning the tricky relationship btwn. parents & children, our responsibility to others, and how unrealistic fantasies/wish fulfillments can lead to tragic consequences. And so, while 'Into the Woods' may not be as flashy, sexy or super as Rob Marshall's Chicago (2002), it is infinitely better than his botched Nine (2009), and it provided me excellent singing, witty dialogue & darkly enchanting entertainment. "I wish" to re-enter these woods again ... and again.
More on the macabre later. Sondheim's rousing 15-minute "Act One Prologue" opens the film with our main characters unleashing their staccato-driven refrains of "I wish ... I wish ... I wish". The clever plot concerns a humble Baker (James Corden) & his sweet-natured wife (Emily Blunt), whose attempts to have a baby have failed. Into the bakery whirls their enigmatic neighbor, the spell-casting Witch (Meryl Streep), who explains how she cursed the Baker to have no children after his father stole some magic beans from her garden many yrs. ago. The only way the curse can be undone is for them to go into the woods on a quest to collect 4 pertinent objects for her in 3 days time: "The cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, & the slipper as pure as gold".
The cow comes courtesy of farm boy Jack (of beanstalk lore), well-played by Daniel Huttlestone; he was also the loveable street urchin in 2012's Les Miserables. Jack must enter the woods "... to sell his cow" at the behest of his mother (Tracey Ullman). The cape refers to the outer-wear donned by Little Red Riding Hood, amusingly portrayed by young Broadway vet, Lilla Campbell. She is venturing into the woods "... to grandmother's house". The yellow hair is provided by the tower-trapped Rapunzel (pretty MacKenzie Mauzy), who was raised by the Witch as her own daughter. And the slipper comes courtesy of Cinderella (the infectious Anna Kendrick), who is desperate to escape from the clutches of her wicked stepfamily (Christine Baranski, Tammy Blanchard, Lucy Punch) and longs to meet Prince Charming (cheeky Chris Pine) "... at the festival!"
Each ensuing song gives the film a breezy, near-reckless sense of narrative momentum. All their paths converge deep into the woods; a scary place where our protagonists meet and go on to lose both their literal & moral bearings. Eventually, everyone's "wish" comes true, but 75 minutes in, a devastating "earthquake" occurs that is triggered by a furious - and vengeful - lady Giant (Frances de la Tour, who - funnily enough - played a giant in the 4th Harry Potter film). The film takes a dark turn, looking at the ramifications of these characters' actions; reminding us that not every tale ends with Happily Ever After. Couples split up (literally & figuratively), characters are abandoned, & major players suffer cruel fates.
"Your Fault" is a great rat-a-tat musical number that humorously, if also soberly sums up the bind that the Baker, Red Riding Hood, Jack, & Cinderella have gotten themselves into; each pointing fingers at one another, only to find the blame thrown back in their faces by the "not nice", but "right" Witch as she blasts into her tour-de-force (if somewhat overblown) rendition of "Last Midnight". But the death, havoc, & disillusionment eventually results in a communal healing process that will ring true to audiences who've been exposed to the chaotic aftermath of tragic disasters. Though portions of the last act are emotionally resonant, I wasn't gaga over this grim half hour or so. The mood/proceedings come to a halt and I found myself longing for the narrative surprise & lightness of tone that first 2/3 exhibited. That said, the film does end on a beautiful note with "No One Is Alone".
Best in show for me is Emily Blunt. So lovely, so natural. I enjoyed her "Moments in the Woods", as well as her playful duet "It Takes Two" with James Corden. And audiences will be touched by her sympathetic, heartrending portrayal. I was blown away by Meryl Streep's maternal lament in "Stay with Me". Her quirks as the old hag amused. And I marveled at her physical transformation. Anna Kendrick is immensely likeable as the confused-in-love Cinderella. A pompadoured Chris Pine preens, poses and - ahem - 'pines' for Cinderella as vain Prince Charming. I enjoyed "Agony", the hilarious duet he shares with Rapunzel's hunky prince (Billy Magnussen) as they compare female heartaches. Johnny Depp is charismatically creepy in a cameo as the lecherous Wolf who lusts after Red Riding Hood; though, the manner of his 'hunger' is up for interpretation. And Christine Baranski made me laugh as the stepmother who covets a prince for her dim-witted daughters.
Despite some relatively static camerawork, 'Into the Woods' impressed me visually with gothic production designs, rich costumes & spiffy CGI. Sondheim's intricate lyrics & lush orchestrations sound wonderful in the theater. The music is melancholy & thoughtful; causing us to re-evaluate & re-interpret these faerie tales. I like that 'ITW' tackles themes concerning the tricky relationship btwn. parents & children, our responsibility to others, and how unrealistic fantasies/wish fulfillments can lead to tragic consequences. And so, while 'Into the Woods' may not be as flashy, sexy or super as Rob Marshall's Chicago (2002), it is infinitely better than his botched Nine (2009), and it provided me excellent singing, witty dialogue & darkly enchanting entertainment. "I wish" to re-enter these woods again ... and again.