MirrorMask-Visuals Equal to Films With 20 Times the Budget.
MirrorMask is a undiscovered gem that most people have not had the pleasure of seeing. I don’t say that in a snotty film reviewer way I am dead serious. I will start by saying that the script is a little light and predictable. The story is definitely not the strongest element in the film. Usually, I am complaining to no end about the lack of quality scripts. MirrorMask is a decent script, but what makes this movie an outstanding film, that you must see, are the visuals. If you are bored to death with Hollywood’s latest offering of sequels and remakes and incarnations of television show, then you will, at least, find this movie fascinating. MirrorMask is a glimpse into the future of filmmmaking and what is on the horizon.
The story centers upon Helena, played extremely well by young, Stephanie Leonidas who has a real screen presence, the spin doctors in Hollywood will not have to convince us that this girl can act. I doubt very much that she need 15 or 20 takes to get it right, and she helps make the cast of excellent performers all that much better. Helena is a circus performer who dreams of running away from the circus where she lives, to the “real” world. Helena is under great stress as she learns that her mother is deathly ill. This revelation draws her into an Alice in Wonderland on Crack like dreamworld that has some of the most unforgettable imagery found in recent cinema.
No doubt the real strength of MirrorMask resides in the incredible and insane computer generated locations and effects, as well as the costumes and props. The film did more with its budget than nearly any film I can remember. With only $4-$5 million dollars this film, which was mostly shot on blue-screen, is superior to many films with 10 or 20 times the budget. Gush. Gush. This is not to say that everything in the CG-blue screen arena was a total hit, because it simply wasn’t. Some of the creatures looked a little video gamey and rushed, but again, considering the confines of the budget, it is a small miracle. And I regret more people have not seen this technically impressive work.
Writer Neil Gaiman and director Dave McKean know each other from the comic book world and I certainly hope they collaborate on another project and hopefully with The Jim Henson Company which helped breathe life into the film. I feel that it is likely that we will see a collaboration by these three parties again, and the next time it may be hard to miss.
Story B+
Acting A
Visuals A+ (This movie will mess with your head.)
Originality/Innovation A+
Enjoyability Grade A
Home Theater/HD Factor A+ (As soon as this is available on next-gen DVD get it. If it is playing in HD, watch it. This film will blow your mind.)
Overall Grade A
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