Snow White as you've never seen her before...

I had been looking forward to seeing Snow White and the Huntsman for some time. The trailers grasped my attention and I hoped that we would finally get a good film that re-imagines a classic tale. However, like many I was hesitant, a little worried that it would go where so many had gone before, into a world where great imaginative films go to die with stunning visual effects and no soul. Well I am delighted to say that Snow White and the Huntsman has no place in that dark forsaken place.

The first thing you will notice about this film is that it is in fact visually stunning. The cinematographer for this film is Greig Fraser. I am not familiar with his work but will definitely be keeping an eye out for him. Cinematographers paint with light, and this is evident throughout the film. The use of colour is beautiful with some scenes reminiscent of Ridley Scott's Gladiator, whose cinematographer was John Mathieson. I love the use of deep reds in films that have darker tones. I found myself captivated by the early scene where the soldiers run to battle Ravenna's army. With its moody shadows, bursts of flame and red flags blowing in the wind the frame is nothing less than art. The most beautiful scenes are those with Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron). Her outfits are incredible and the use of these materials on frame are spectacular. I particularly loved her outfits that were designed around the raven.

Now the reason this film doesn't go to that sad place where stunning films go to die is because this film also has a soul. This is an original take on a very well known tale. I have never heard the story of Snow White told in this way, and therefore had no idea what to expect. To be honest my limited knowledge of the tale begins and ends with Disney. This is no disney tale however. Our Snow White may be a prisoner but she's quite capable of rescuing herself.

The premise of the film is that Snow White (Kristen Stewart) is imprisoned by her step mother, Ravenna, who kills Snow White's father and takes over the kingdom. When Snow White comes of age Ravenna is horrified to discover that she is no longer the fairest of them all, Snow White is. I have to add a side note here, the re-imagination of the mirror was incredible. Ravenna finds out however that if she consumes Snow White's heart she will be immortal and forever young. She asks her brother to bring Snow White to him but she manages to escape and runs into an ominous forest. Ravenna then demands that the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) who knows the forest go in after her. She says that if he brings Snow White back she will bring his dead wife back to life.

I think many people were confused when Kristen Stewart was cast to play Snow White. Her films till now have not highlighted any of her acting skills, many claiming that she appears wooden on screen. I wasn't  expecting a great performance from her but was pleasantly surprised to discover that the girl can act. Her American accent is transformed into a more British lilt in this film and she doesn't do any of those annoying hand to hair gestures common in the Twilight films. She breathes a new life into Snow White, who in this tale is not some lost Princess looking for a Prince, rather a strong, pure-hearted young woman looking to heal a land long ravaged by desperation and despair. I read a review where the critic claimed that it was ridiculous for Stewart to be cast opposite the gorgeous Theron, when Snow White is supposed to be more beautiful. Firstly I think it's appalling that this critic went as fair as to mock the state of Stewart's teeth, secondly I like that the film focusses more on inner beauty than outer. I found that Stewart looked lovely on film, but more than that I found the way they portrayed her inner beauty to be refreshing. This is a woman whose heart can heal your wounds, take away your pain. She breathes light into dark and that is where her beauty comes from.

The Huntsman in this tale is not simply the muscles of the mission. In fact we learn early on that there are some tasks Snow White can do better than he can. The Huntsman is in a state of deep grief over the loss of his wife and has chosen to fill the void with alcohol. We see a great and subtle change with the Huntsman throughout the film. The Prince is part of the mission also, and we know from the traditional tale that it is the Prince whose kiss will bring Snow White back to life. But this is not the traditional tale.

I have read reviews where people stated their unhappiness with the ending, with it's vague romance between Snow White and the Huntsman. I didn't have any problem with the ending. I thought it suited the film perfectly. As for the romance aspect, I enjoyed the subtlety of it. I can't really imagine how declarations of undying love or excessive displays of affection would have placed in this film. I have always been a fan of longing looks, slight touches and charged energy on film. It's harder to act and therefore much more affective.

I have to make mention here of the seven dwarves. I liked their portrayal in this film. They were more heroic than comedic, with a back story, some humour, but mostly they provided a different insight into the world this film is based around. There has been some controversy over the use of regular sized actors, as opposed to casting little people. I can understand the frustration of those who feel this encroached upon roles that should be reserved for a people who feel they already have such limited choices. But I also understand why execs wanted to cast well known actors like Bob Hoskins, Ian McShane and Nick Frost. Either way the actors did well and brought a new twist to the seven dwarves.

Snow White and the Huntsman is an imaginative film that unlike other fairy tale films (I'm looking at Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland here) takes time with plot and gives a heart beat to the film. The visuals are superb, the acting genuinely good, and the story intriguing. All in all it's a great "once upon a time" that leads us to a "happily ever after"...or at least hints at it.

The Avengers Assemble

This post will be full of spoilers, because this post is written by an Avengers fan, for Avengers fans. And if you're an Avengers fan then you've seen this movie at least once by now. So for the rest of you, you need to stop what you're doing and go to your local cinema and watch this movie...now!

I have been a complete nerd in anticipation of this film. I have spent countless hours reading up all about the Avengers, trying to gain what knowledge I could. I have never read the comics before but came to know of them, like many, through film and TV. I've watched and re-watched all the films leading up to this one. If you haven't seen the others films before The Avengers then you need to do two things. 1. stop reading this because as I mentioned it's going to be full of spoilers. 2. Go and watch the others first. Trust me, it's better to know Bruce Banner before you know the Hulk. It's important to know why Captain America seems a little out of time, why Thor would risk all that he did to get back to Earth, why Iron Man ...dammit just watch the other films.

This is probably as good a time as any for me to say to Joss Whedon, I salute you! Thank you for breathing life and heart into this film, which could have gone any number of ways really. Not only is it highly enjoyable and full of wonderful fight scenes and stunning visual effects, it's also got a soul. I like how the film takes its time. Every character gets their own entrance, and so they should. This is an ensemble piece after all.

So who are our Avengers? Well first there's Captain America, aka Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), the brave, kind super soldier who has been asleep for 70+ years. He missed a date with the lovely Penny Carter. Then there's Iron Man, aka Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist (his words, not mine), he's back with his arrogance, his charm and his wicked suit. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) arrives with a bang, literally, in search of his brother who he wishes to take back to Asgard for sentencing. I had been wondering how he would return considering how Thor ended. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) mentions that the all father must have conjured up dark power to get him to Earth. It's obvious that Thor has one mission, get Loki, get the tesseract and go back to Asgard. His presence on Earth is costing Asgard something, and that's the reason he can't just run off in search of Jane. We will have to wait till Thor 2 for that reunion. The Hulk, aka Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), is the muscle of the group. He's a green, mean fighting machine. Hawkeye, aka Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), brings his excellent archery skills to the mix. Black Widow, aka Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) brings exceptional spy skills and some kick ass moves, as well as a little touch of femininity to the group.

They are quite the ensemble. To say they don't get along at the start is an understatement. Rogers can barely stand Stark. Rogers, a soldier who would jump on a grenade to save those around him can't really handle the arrogance that Stark exudes. He accuses Stark of working only for himself, never being capable of sacrificing himself for others. You can't really blame the guy for feeling this way. However there's a depth to Stark that we've come to know and love in the Iron Man films. I really loved the scene when Stark took the nuke and risked his own life for everyone else. He can be cocky as hell but he's a hero. There's also a great fight scene between Iron Man and Thor, who are arguably the two most arrogant members of the team.

However there is a friendship that comes out of this film which is really moving. Stark is not known for his subtlety and when he meets Bruce Banner he's eager to see him become the Hulk. However it becomes apparent that Stark wants Banner to embrace his true self. There's a similarity between them, an understanding even. They both became something they didn't really ask for. Where Stark has turned this into his advantage Banner has continually struggled. As the film progresses we get to see Banner embrace his whole true glorious self. After Stark has seemingly sacrificed himself for the others it's only fitting that it's Hulk who catches him falling from the sky.

I have to mention of course the wonderful Tom Hiddleston in his performance of Loki. I'm not always a fan of comic book villains, I find they can be overdone and lose all sense of reality. Loki however is a villain I truly love. I hope they never get rid of him. The character is deliciously villainous whilst also maintaing some sense of humanity (if you could call it that). He can play both menacing mastermind and spoilt obnoxious child at the same time. Every minute of him on screen is captivating.

Apart from Hiddleston, honorable mention has to go to Ruffolo who breathed new life into the Hulk. To be honest he's been my least favorite Avenger, until now. The scene where he kicks Loki's ass was so great, the whole cinema applauded. Before when there was talk about him having his own reboot I was skeptical, after seeing this film however I am all in.

And of course I have to mention the wonderful Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg). He's been our guide through the films leading to this one. Every time we saw him we were reminded that S.H.I.E.L.D has eyes everywhere. We got to know a little more about Coulson in this film. For instance he recently broke up with a gal, and he's a huge fan of Captain America. He also finally got to know what that gun does. So thanks Agent Coulson for your dedication and hard work.

The film ends with the Avengers going their separate ways but we know they will return when Earth needs them (or when The Avengers 2 starts filming). We also have Iron Man 3, Thor 2 and Captain America 2 to keep us happy until then.

Obviously reading this means you've watched the movie, which means I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. So let's just agree that this film was awesome, Joss Whedon is a legend and Loki was adopted.

The Mighty God of Thunder

I've been watching a lot of Marvel films recently and thought I'd do some reviews of them over the next few days. Today is all about the mighty God of thunder: Thor.

Please be aware that this may contain spoilers.

I went to see this in the cinema and loved it. I have been eagerly anticipating a sequel and am excited to hear whispers of it floating around. I do not have much knowledge when it comes to Marvel, I've never read a comic book in my life (something I definitely aim to fix) so my only knowledge comes from these films and my older brother. My brother is an avid fan of marvel and we spent a couple of hours last week talking about Thor and the upcoming Avengers film. To some this may seem like a boring thing to discuss for hours over skype but I actually found it really interesting. Thor is also a deity from Norse mythology so there's a rich history there.

What I really like about Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is that when we first meet him he is full of arrogance. He is clearly a skilled warrior and is on his way to the throne of Asgard when things don't go as he planned. His arrogance puts others at risk and his actions defy his father, King Odin. As punishment Odin strips Thor of his godly power and sends him to Earth in exile. Odin sends Thor's mjolnir (his hammer) to Earth as well but with an enchantment that only he who is worthy can wield it.

On Earth Thor meets Jane (Natalie Portman) an astrophysicist, her assistant Darcy (Kat Dennings) and her mentor Eric (Stellan Skarsgard). In Asgard things are not going so well. Odin has fallen into "Odinsleep" a coma-like induced sleep to help him recuperate. Loki, Thor's brother, has an agenda of his own which prompts Thor's friends to go to Earth and bring him back.

The film has everything a good action film should have: special effects, action, intrigue, romance, good guys, bad guys etc. I liked the character arc of Thor as he learns to be less arrogant. That scene in the cafe where he demands another cup of coffee was my favourite. Natalie Portman did well in the role of Jane. She and Chris had a good connection on film which is surprisingly rare in action genre films. I find too often they don't cast actors that have onscreen chemistry.

The film ended with me wanting more, but in a good way. Make sure you wait to the end of the credits of Thor for the sneak peek of The Avengers.  It seems I will have to wait another year before the sequel will be out, but The Avengers comes out next summer so we will get to see Thor in that. I look forward to seeing more from Chris Hemsworth. His film career has only just started and already he's proving that he can carry a film, and a mjolnir.