REVIEW: Mirrormask
During the Q&A session after Tuesday's London Film Festival screening of Mirrormask, Dave McKean mentioned that while he and writer Neil Gaiman were holed up at Lisa Henson's London home thrashing out ideas for the film (and, for the first time in their longstanding partnership, having a bit of a bust up), Terry Gilliam popped round and took them out for a drink. This association is so apt as there is a comparable blurring of reality and fantasy in McKean's feature debut as director and Gilliam's work.
Mirrormask tells the story of Helena (Stephanie Leonidas), a 15 year-old girl frustrated by life in the circus, living her parents' dream. This frustration manifests itself during a hurtful argument with her mum, Joanna (Gina McKee). Most kids dream of running away to the circus, argues mum, but Helena wants to run away to real life. Helena then gets a big dose of real life when her mum collapses later that night, stricken by an unspecified growth or tumour. Helena is shipped off to her grandmother's dreary council flat in Brighton, passing time covering the walls with fantastical drawings and visiting her mum in hospital while Dad (Rob Brydon) negotiates with bank managers to find the money to pay for his wife's life-saving operation while still keeping his dream, the circus, above water. "Dreams only take you so far," says one of the circus performers. "After that you need cash."
It is against this troubling backdrop that Helena stumbles into a surreal fantasy world one night, a world of two opposing lands - Light and Shadow - where unwanted books return to the library under their own volition, shoals of fish swim through the air, cats with human faces issue riddles and married giants orbit each other above the ground; a world where everybody wears a mask to show how they feel and Helena's naked face is considered weird and confusing by the inhabitants.
Helena befriends one such inhabitant named Valentine (Jason Barry) - "I'm an important man. I have a tower." - but is soon mistaken as the ersatz princess that ingratiated herself into the Queen Of Light's confidence but then stole a secret charm, the eponymous Mirrormask, sending the Queen (McKee again) into a deep sleep and disrupting the balance between Light and Shadow. Helena takes it upon herself to retrieve the mask, restore the balance between Light and Shadow and return to her own world.
On the face of it, Mirrormask is standard fairy tale stuff filled with familiar archetypes: the young child transported from her ordinary life into a world of fantastical creatures; the local inhabitant who befriends her but must make a choice between looking out for his own selfish needs or facing danger to protect his new friend; the opposing forces of good and evil personified by the Queens of Light and Shadow. But the film succeeds in transcending these stock elements for several reasons. Firstly, it would be impossible for any movie directed by Dave McKean to look anything less than astonishing. The fantasy worlds he shows us is one stuffed with beautifully weird creatures, buildings and textures. Once we step foot into the Lands of Light and Shadow every single frame is stuffed with wondrous computer generated creations. But compared to something like the Star Wars prequels, where the screen suffers from pristine CG overload, McKean's impressionistic, dreamlike imagery is mesmerising and draws you in to the story rather than bombarding the senses. Even the scenes set in the real world that bookend the film have a curious, otherworldly quality to them.
Then there is Gaiman's thoughtful, warm and witty script. As with his comics and fiction, Gaiman is very good at keeping even his most fantastical scenarios grounded by putting ordinary people into extraordinary situations. Once in the world of fantasy, Mirrormask could have so easily succumbed to the portentous, pseudo-Shakespearean gibberish that blights the Star Wars movies. However, Gaiman never lets this happen and the characters in Mirrormask react to all the strangeness surrounding them in very real, down to earth dialogue. This is aided by the superb cast. Stephanie Leonidas carries the film with great skill, portraying an initially stroppy teenager without appearing obnoxious, a concerned daughter fearful of her mother's illness without being overly sentimental and a curious observer in a strange land without resorting to manic, bug-eyed astonishment. McKee, Brydon and Barry offer equally strong support delivering believable and sympathetic performances. The scenes between Leonidas and Brydon as they anxiously await the outcome of Joanna's operation are particularly touching and understated rather than manipulative or sentimental.
In recent interviews to promote his film The Brothers Grimm, Terry Gilliam has been lamenting the current climate of fear with regards to parents wanting to shield their children from anything in the media they deem to be too frightening. This is a mistake, reasons Gilliam: fairy tales have a useful function because although they are traditionally dark and frightening they always have a happy ending and therefore teach children that there are dangers and demons out there in the world but they can be overcome. This is surely a better lesson to teach to the young rather than wrapping them in cotton wool and pretending that the world is just lovely. This kind of thinking can be seen at work in Mirrormask which has its fair share of frightening moments: the arachnid-like eyeballs on legs, the mysterious black gloop that consumes its victims or attaches itself to creatures' faces in order to possess them. Such images might be enough to compel younger viewers to watch through the gaps between their fingers but there is nothing in the film unsuitably graphic.
As I mentioned earlier, it is easy to see similarities between Mirrormask and Gilliam's films such as Time Bandits, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and The Brothers Grimm - but where Gilliam's films are anarchic and messy (in a good way), McKean and Gaiman's film has a more measured, contemplative pace. Some reviews that have been knocking around the interweb have complained that, despite the spectacular visuals, the film's narrative is slow and tiresome. Other criticisms have been levelled at the plot saying that it simply doesn't make sense. It is true that anyone used to the Michael Bay school of frenetic editing and nausea-inducing handheld camera work may be on unfamiliar territory. Likewise, anyone who takes the Robert McKee/Syd Mead guidelines of screenplay structure as gospel will scoff at the dream logic of the film. But it is a mistake to judge this film by such dogmatic, inflexible criteria - that would be missing the point. As with Gaiman and McKean's graphic novel collaborations, Mirrormask sets its own rules. The story is perhaps an allegory, a visual manifestation of Helena's fears that she could lose her mother. The Queens of Light and Shadows could represent Helena's adolescent confusion over her love of her parents and her resentment about being trapped in their dream life with the circus. That there are many possible interpretations of what appears onscreen is not a weakness in the film's narrative but rather a reflection of the ambiguity of real life.
Mirrormask is a beautiful, layered film that can be enjoyed by both children and adults and deserves to be widely seen. And the last line of dialogue is perfect.
Mirrormask tells the story of Helena (Stephanie Leonidas), a 15 year-old girl frustrated by life in the circus, living her parents' dream. This frustration manifests itself during a hurtful argument with her mum, Joanna (Gina McKee). Most kids dream of running away to the circus, argues mum, but Helena wants to run away to real life. Helena then gets a big dose of real life when her mum collapses later that night, stricken by an unspecified growth or tumour. Helena is shipped off to her grandmother's dreary council flat in Brighton, passing time covering the walls with fantastical drawings and visiting her mum in hospital while Dad (Rob Brydon) negotiates with bank managers to find the money to pay for his wife's life-saving operation while still keeping his dream, the circus, above water. "Dreams only take you so far," says one of the circus performers. "After that you need cash."
It is against this troubling backdrop that Helena stumbles into a surreal fantasy world one night, a world of two opposing lands - Light and Shadow - where unwanted books return to the library under their own volition, shoals of fish swim through the air, cats with human faces issue riddles and married giants orbit each other above the ground; a world where everybody wears a mask to show how they feel and Helena's naked face is considered weird and confusing by the inhabitants.
Helena befriends one such inhabitant named Valentine (Jason Barry) - "I'm an important man. I have a tower." - but is soon mistaken as the ersatz princess that ingratiated herself into the Queen Of Light's confidence but then stole a secret charm, the eponymous Mirrormask, sending the Queen (McKee again) into a deep sleep and disrupting the balance between Light and Shadow. Helena takes it upon herself to retrieve the mask, restore the balance between Light and Shadow and return to her own world.
On the face of it, Mirrormask is standard fairy tale stuff filled with familiar archetypes: the young child transported from her ordinary life into a world of fantastical creatures; the local inhabitant who befriends her but must make a choice between looking out for his own selfish needs or facing danger to protect his new friend; the opposing forces of good and evil personified by the Queens of Light and Shadow. But the film succeeds in transcending these stock elements for several reasons. Firstly, it would be impossible for any movie directed by Dave McKean to look anything less than astonishing. The fantasy worlds he shows us is one stuffed with beautifully weird creatures, buildings and textures. Once we step foot into the Lands of Light and Shadow every single frame is stuffed with wondrous computer generated creations. But compared to something like the Star Wars prequels, where the screen suffers from pristine CG overload, McKean's impressionistic, dreamlike imagery is mesmerising and draws you in to the story rather than bombarding the senses. Even the scenes set in the real world that bookend the film have a curious, otherworldly quality to them.
Then there is Gaiman's thoughtful, warm and witty script. As with his comics and fiction, Gaiman is very good at keeping even his most fantastical scenarios grounded by putting ordinary people into extraordinary situations. Once in the world of fantasy, Mirrormask could have so easily succumbed to the portentous, pseudo-Shakespearean gibberish that blights the Star Wars movies. However, Gaiman never lets this happen and the characters in Mirrormask react to all the strangeness surrounding them in very real, down to earth dialogue. This is aided by the superb cast. Stephanie Leonidas carries the film with great skill, portraying an initially stroppy teenager without appearing obnoxious, a concerned daughter fearful of her mother's illness without being overly sentimental and a curious observer in a strange land without resorting to manic, bug-eyed astonishment. McKee, Brydon and Barry offer equally strong support delivering believable and sympathetic performances. The scenes between Leonidas and Brydon as they anxiously await the outcome of Joanna's operation are particularly touching and understated rather than manipulative or sentimental.
In recent interviews to promote his film The Brothers Grimm, Terry Gilliam has been lamenting the current climate of fear with regards to parents wanting to shield their children from anything in the media they deem to be too frightening. This is a mistake, reasons Gilliam: fairy tales have a useful function because although they are traditionally dark and frightening they always have a happy ending and therefore teach children that there are dangers and demons out there in the world but they can be overcome. This is surely a better lesson to teach to the young rather than wrapping them in cotton wool and pretending that the world is just lovely. This kind of thinking can be seen at work in Mirrormask which has its fair share of frightening moments: the arachnid-like eyeballs on legs, the mysterious black gloop that consumes its victims or attaches itself to creatures' faces in order to possess them. Such images might be enough to compel younger viewers to watch through the gaps between their fingers but there is nothing in the film unsuitably graphic.
As I mentioned earlier, it is easy to see similarities between Mirrormask and Gilliam's films such as Time Bandits, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and The Brothers Grimm - but where Gilliam's films are anarchic and messy (in a good way), McKean and Gaiman's film has a more measured, contemplative pace. Some reviews that have been knocking around the interweb have complained that, despite the spectacular visuals, the film's narrative is slow and tiresome. Other criticisms have been levelled at the plot saying that it simply doesn't make sense. It is true that anyone used to the Michael Bay school of frenetic editing and nausea-inducing handheld camera work may be on unfamiliar territory. Likewise, anyone who takes the Robert McKee/Syd Mead guidelines of screenplay structure as gospel will scoff at the dream logic of the film. But it is a mistake to judge this film by such dogmatic, inflexible criteria - that would be missing the point. As with Gaiman and McKean's graphic novel collaborations, Mirrormask sets its own rules. The story is perhaps an allegory, a visual manifestation of Helena's fears that she could lose her mother. The Queens of Light and Shadows could represent Helena's adolescent confusion over her love of her parents and her resentment about being trapped in their dream life with the circus. That there are many possible interpretations of what appears onscreen is not a weakness in the film's narrative but rather a reflection of the ambiguity of real life.
Mirrormask is a beautiful, layered film that can be enjoyed by both children and adults and deserves to be widely seen. And the last line of dialogue is perfect.
posted by Steve Kane at 6:47 PM
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