MirrorMask

Lovely and Enchanting

If you are a fan of Neil Gaiman’s writings and Dave Mckean’s art you will be delighted to hear that MirrorMask is a spawn of their imagination brought to life by the Jim Henson Company.

MirrorMask is the story of Helena (Stephanie Leonidas), who works for the family circus, and wishes, quite ironically, that she could ran away and join real life. But such is not to be the case , as she finds herself on a strange journey into the Dark lands, a fantastic landscape filled with giants, Monkeybirds and dangerous sphinxes, Helena searches the MirrorMask, an object of enormous power that is her only hope of escaping the Dark lands , waking the Queen of light and returning home.

MirrorMask is a gorgeous effects driven fantasy flick that remains charming from start to finish. The look of the film is the first thing that takes you: it's pure McKean, gorgeous and lush and surreal and vivid as a dream, perfectly capturing the feel of the Sandman.

Then you notice the writing. It's a rare film that successfully translates the ineffable oomph of a prose writer's style to the big screen. Gaiman's work is quirky, understated, funny and smart. In Mirrormask, it translates brilliantly to the screen. The dialog crackles. It's laugh-out-loud funny. It's spooky. It's weird and perfectly complimentary to McKean's illustration style.

I haven't seen a film as lovely as this since Brazil. I haven't seen a film as enchanting since Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. Simply brilliant stuff. Well folks, MirrorMask is not a movie everyone will like but if your curiosity gets the better of you, I do recommend atleast a rental. It’s not everyday you get to see a movie like this. Besides if you are a Neil Gaiman fan like me, it’s a must see.

On a lighter note, everytime I look at the main protagonist (Stephanie Leonidas) she seems to resemblance my close friend. I know it sounds bizarre. But maybe it’s just me. But they both are of the same size (puny), have the same short hairstyle, look identical, and have the same mannerisms. Spooky right?

So till my next post ya, its bye from Ganz.

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