2014 Awards Circuit: Into The Woods Review
The 2014 Award Circuit will be a collection of reviews of films that are in some kind of award runnings within the months of January through March. Not only will this prepare me for the big night (AKA Oscar Night), but it will also allow me to catch up with some of the critically acclaimed films I missed out on in 2014. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy watching and writing them.
Before I begin, let me make one thing clear. I like musicals;
I sang in the high school choir and before that I would partake in acting camps
in grade school. I even auditioned for a musical when I was in grade school,
but missed the cut. I have always had an appreciation for this stuff, and I
liked some musical movies. I think “Rent” is good, not great. I love “Moulin
Rouge!” and “Chicago” and “Sweeney Todd.” If Channing Tatum and Joseph
Gordon-Levitt ever decide to make that “Guys and Dolls” movie that has been
heavily rumored, I’d be there opening weekend. So before I before I say what I
say, I hope you understand that my opinion is not from a biased or uncultured
point of view. I approached this movie as I approach every movie, and I take
pride in watching anything and giving everything a try.
I walked into “Into The Woods” ready to hate it. I knew it
was based on a musical from 1987, but the idea of another “fairy tale
characters interacting together” seemed more monetary then creative. I have had
it with Meryl Streep and I didn’t think I needed another example of Johnny
Depp’s one-trick pony of charisma. I didn’t know if there was going to be
anything that would salvage the film for me. But I felt I needed to catch up
with it to see how Meryl Streep’s performance measured up with the other Oscar
nominees.
I was surprised how quickly I was taken into the movie. I
was amazed the music drew me into the story. I was immediately drawn into The
Baker (James Corden) and his Wife (Emily Blunt) and how they can’t have a child
because of a curse brought on by a Witch (Meryl Streep) because the Baker’s
father stole from the Witch before the Baker was born. The Witch decides to
allow The Baker a chance at redemption if he can retrieve five items for a The
Witch. This brings the Baker into contact with Jack (Daniel Huttlestone),
Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), and Rapunzel
(MacKenzie Mauzy). Like I said, I drawn into more than I thought. I think
Corden and Blunt do very good work, and they bring an unlicensed life to their
roles. I also think Anna Kendrick does extraordinary work as Cinderella. I was
surprised to learn that Anna Kendrick came from Broadway background before
making it as an actress, no wonder she sang so well in “Pitch Perfect.”
Kendrick makes the most of every moment of her screen time. I think taken as a
whole, this core cast here is the reason why the movie isn’t boring or tedium
and quite frankly, saves the film.
I was once again amazed by the work done by Chris Pine. In
this movie, he plays the Prince who will eventually marry Cinderella. I think
2014 was a pivotal year for Pine and I think he is showing a side of himself
that we have never seen before. Pine kind of reminds me of Ryan Gosling in some
weird ways. He has the look and talent of a movie star, but there is a hunger
and a passion that I feel we don’t get from most of them. I’d love to see Pine
indulge in more experimental craft, just to see what would come of it.
While I don’t think “Into The Woods” is a failure, I am not
sure if director Rob Marshall was the guy for the job. There is a claustrophobic
feeling to every seen in the movie and it’s hard to not ignore that the entire
film feels like it was shot on a soundstage. I understand that “Into The Woods”
came from musical roots and perhaps the stage aspect may seem normal to a
director. But I felt that “Sweeney Todd,” “Moulin Rouge!” and even “Rent” felt
more epic in visual effects and set design. To me, I felt “Into The Woods”
looked and felt cheap. I never thought the costumes were the extravagant,
feeling as if they came from a community theater back lot. Once again, this is
the movie, so I guess I expected more from a Hollywood production. I really
felt that there was a crowded quality to the movie and it personally rubbed me
wrong.
I think Meryl Streep was fine as The Witch, but like much of
her recent work, it wasn’t something to be nominated for. I wish someone would
explain to me why the Academy continues to nominate her year after year. I
definitely feel there were vastly superior performances by women in supporting
roles that were much worthier for nomination over Streep. It is not a bad
performance, and its not Streep being Streep, its just not something I’d
nominate for Oscars. Johnny Depp is typical Johnny Depp as The Big Bad Wolf,
but playing opposite of Lilla Crawford, he comes off more as a creep than a
big, bad wolf. There is a song early in the movie when Red Riding Hood has her
first encounter with The Wolf and the song he sings seems weird being sung to a
girl so young. Sure, the Wolf is fantasizing about eating her, but there is a
sensual mood to the way Depp sings the song and how the music plays, and it
comes off very creepy. Other than that, this is just another listless Depp
performance.
I feel “Into The Woods” would have been much better in the
hands of another director. I think a different director could have made this
feel more like a movie than a convoluted stage play. I think a different
director could have made this movie feel more epic and given the film a visual
inspiration that Marshall could not. The film is filled with great songs, great
performances and great moments, but they don’t add up, not quite. I think even
a different director could have helped Depp and Streep out more. The movie isn’t
a total mess, which is an achievement in my eyes.
FINAL GRADE: B-
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