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Directed By
Iain Softley
Written By:
David Lindsay-Abaire, Cornelia Funke
Cast:
Brendan Fraser, Andy Serkis, Paul Bettany, Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent, Sienna Guillory, Jamie Foreman, Tereza Srbova, Marnix Van Den Broeke, Matt King, Lesley Sharp, Richard Strange, Stephen Modell, Jay Fuller, Rafi Gavron, David Stevenson, Alex Argenti, Eliza Bennett, Steve Speirs, Adam Bond, Antonio Gil, Mirabel O'Keefe, Mike Godfrey, Leeroy Bailey, Mike Busson
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Inkheart (2009)
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Movie Review by Jarrod
January 26th, 2009
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'Inkheart' is based on a bestselling fantasy novel by Cornelia Funke, described as the German equivalent of JK Rowling, though I don't know how large her following is outside of Europe, or maybe even outside of Germany, where she is wildly popular. 'Inkheart' is the first book of a series, so expect adaptations of its sequels in the future, depending on box office success. Funke apparently had Brendan Fraser in mind when she originally created the character of Mortimer "Mo" Folchart, and so he ended up landing the role when the novel was brought to the screen. Fraser is a good enough choice; he is an affable and handsome actor, and has experience with movies that surround him with special effects, like The Mummy and Journey to the Center of the Earth. He can also be funny, but here, he takes things more seriously.
Folchart is a Silvertongue; he possess the ability to bring books to life by reading them aloud, or, more precisely, he can bring characters from books into our world, initially unaware that there is always an exchange, someone from our world will be transferred into the book, and trapped there. This is what happens to Mo's wife, Resa (Sienna Guillory). His daughter Meggie (Eliza Bennett) thinks her mother simply abandoned her, but Mo will eventually reveal the truth to her, as they search for the title tome, which they are able to find in Italy, but their efforts are opposed by the nefarious Capricorn (Andy Serkis), who does not want to go back inside the book, and tries to abduct Mo so that he can use his powers for evil.
Mo and Meggie also encounter Dustfinger (Paul Bettany), a homesick fire-juggler, who becomes their ally, and seeks to be reunited with his wife Roxanne (Jennifer Connelly). Also present is Elinor (Helen Mirren), Meggie's great aunt, at whose mansion she and Mo find sanctuary, and Jim Broadbent as the daffy Fenoglio, author of 'Inkheart'. The imaginative premise is riddled with a lack of internal consistency; there are moments when Mo seems able to control his powers, picking and choosing what he can pull out of a book, or who he can transport into it or out of it, but then, on other occasions, it seems he has no control at all over what happens.
Rules are established and then numerous exceptions are made, until the rules themselves are rendered irrelevant, and violated with impunity. The resolution settled on by screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire incorporates deus ex machina, which really makes you wonder why the adventure occurred in the first place, if everything could have been settled so easily. Compared to LOTR, Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, and The Golden Compass, 'Inkheart' comes up short, though I think it will appeal to children, who will be able to relate to Meggie and get pulled into the story, despite its flaws, granted they can make sense of it. Eliza Bennett is solid in her first leading role, a fresh-faced, charismatic presence. However, at 17, she is a little too old to play a pre-teen that effectively.
The relationship between Meggie and Mo is sincere and well-defined. Broadbent and Mirren add class (and a touch of humor) to the proceedings, Mirren especially infuses some of her lines with blunt sarcasm. Serkis makes for a suitably slimy villain, a bit cartoonish, but it offers a refreshing break from all that motion capture work he does. Poor Paul Bettany, though, is wasted, as the long-haired Dustfinger. The picture carries with it a strong message about the importance of reading, the simple, unparalleled joys of which many modern kids have not been exposed to, because they have so many alternative forms of entertainment. If anything, perhaps the film will help them develop a passion for literature.
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