Stars: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin
Director: Rupert Sanders
Oscar History: 2 nominations (Best Visual Effects, Costume)
Snap Judgment Ranking: 2/5 stars
The continued investment in re-imagining the world of fairy tales led us to not one but two major Snow White productions this past year, and as luck would have it (and doesn't luck always affect the fairy tales), both received Oscar nominations, and so both are to be included in the OVP. Our first, however, received two nominations, so it gets to go first.The centuries old tale needs know introduction, but as there are some twists and turns not seen before, I shall include a customary spoiler alert to go with the film. The film is about Snow White (Stewart), taken captive by her vain and beautiful stepmother (Theron), who, after the Evil Queen realizes that she can live forever with the heart of Snow White, flees the castle and heads into the Black Forest with the Huntsman. The book strays a bit from both the Brothers Grimm tale and the Disney version, and while the Huntsman does indeed save the girl's life, he doesn't abandon her and go back to the queen with a fake heart, but instead stays with Snow White.
This opens up the story for obviously, a bit more romance, and if the writers hadn't been distracted by the gigantic set pieces and flashbacks to Charlize Theron's Queen Ravenna, perhaps would have even left a love triangle (the film's inexplicable sequel will most likely cover that ground). The film doesn't skimp on some of the other more important aspects of the story, namely the frightening creatures of the Black Forest, the poisoned apple, and the headliners of the seven dwarves (I spotted Toby Jones and Ian McShane, amongst others, in their brood). The film, does, however, oddly skip out on the poisoned comb and the Queen's other failed attempts to extinguish Snow White. I say oddly, because the film is obsessed with Charlize Theron.
I suppose I should get this out of the way, then. Theron is by far the thing to come see in this movie, as she's the most commanding presence and she doesn't have much time or use for sharing the spotlight with her fellow actors, and for good reason: she's never looked more attractive, and even though she's playing a villain, it's nice when the movies don't cover up the beauty of one of the cinema's most attractive stars. I will say, and not to be unkind to Kristen Stewart (who looks quite fetching, to quote Chris Hemsworth, throughout the film), but there are Hellenistic statues who would cower in ugliness to Charlize Theron, so it's never truly believable that Theron is at risk of being less "fair" than Snow White, a major plot issue that I guffawed at several times, though not necessarily a deal-breaker as far as believability.
However, I will say that while Theron was good at the beginning, her retched evil eventually got a bit campy for my tastes, and while camp is fun, it's not necessarily great acting. It seems she was trying to become Cate Blanchett in Lord of the Rings, but instead channeled John Noble's bombast from the same movies. Every line reading becomes staggered...with...doom, which makes the entire performance a bit cartoonish. Still somewhat fun, but after two hours, it's too much forte without the crescendo.
The film's battle scenes are on the smaller scale, and while Bella Swan, Warrior Princess, was a nice change of pace for those of us who wished our Twilight heroine had been a little less mousy (I'm guessing Kristen Stewart herself can be included in the us here), Sanders so severely copied other fight scenes (I kept thinking of the Cate Blanchett Robin Hood from a few years back...for some reason I have Cate Blanchett on the brain this morning) that the action was a bit bloated and unnecessary.
The film also messes with the kiss from a prince angle, instead giving the honor to the Huntsman, probably a more appropriate choice. Sam Claflin is a lovely man, but Chris Hemsworth is the dreamiest, and only a fool would pick the prissy prince over the dangerous and brooding huntsman. Rupert Sanders may be a cad and a scoundrel, but at least he has good judgment in men.
The movie was cited for two Academy Award nominations: Best Costume and Visual Effects. I remember on Oscar nomination morning being stunned that the film had received a citation for Best Visual Effects. Cloud Atlas, Skyfall, and in particular The Dark Knight Rises seemed more likely-one could have made a solid argument going into the announcement that it was in tenth place of the ten finalists. However, I will admit that the Visual Effects were far more organic and story-assisting than I expected. The Sanctuary (featuring the fairies), as well as the creatures of the Black Forest were mesmerizing, as well as was the milk bath sequence, and oddly enough, I actually liked this nomination more coming out of the film than I did the film's more obvious nomination, Best Costume.
Colleen Atwood is a legend of the Oscars (she has three trophies, and another seven nominations), and while she clearly is having great fun dressing Charlize Theron, it sometimes feels as if she's forgotten about the rest of the cast. The Snow White duds are a bit uninspired (with the exception of the metal armor, which I was a fan of), and the rest of the cast was in simple period costuming that could be interchanged with almost any other period fantasy film of the past two decades. The Theron duds, though, are worth a look-every single outfit seems to cater well to her character's narcissism and avarice, and I loved how she got more provocatively evil in her plunging necklines as the film progressed.
All-in-all, a bit slow for a two hour adventure fantasy, and while it had some merits (namely the Visual Effects), it was too bloated and overwrought for my tastes, but what did you think? Do you think Atwood or the Visual Effects team (including three first-timers and Neil Corbould, Oscar winner for Gladiator) have a shot at an upset trophy? And since we're about to visit Mirror Mirror later this week, what Snow White/Evil Queen combo did you like best in 2012?
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