An Inventor, a Reader and a Biter.
I had the ultimate pleasure of feasting my eyes this rainy and most unpleasant afternoon upon Lenomy Snicket's: A Series of Unfortunate Events. Armed w/2 just turned 4-yr-olds and a most reluctant --but kindly-- husband, I smuggled my Great Steak & Potato Co. goods into the theater via a handy totebag and settled down for the obligatory 20 minute bombardment of movie previews and dastardly television commercials.
A shared murmur of confusion went up throughout the theater as the movie opened to the nauseating tune of some perpetually smiling claymation elf traipsing through the forest. My brow shot up. I dared not look over at the husband, whom I feared would be wearing an expression smuggly stamped TOLD YA SO. And much to my relief, the relentless joy of the woodland creature was interrupted to inform us that this was exactly the kind of movie we were not going to see.
In a falsely soothing narrative that takes turns at being pitying, sardonic and just plain hilarious, the story of the young Bauedelaires is told. Violet (the oldest and perhaps the cleverest and most natural inventor), Klaus (a boy with a voracious appetite for books and a bullshit meter set on HIGH) and Sunny (a whip-smart baby with her very language and perhaps the deadliest four teeth in the four hemispheres) suddenly find themselves orphans after a mysterious blaze claims their parents and all their worldly possessions. A well meaning, but terribly inept Mr. Poe comes to reveal the tragic news and arranges for the children to live with the estranged --and very strange-- Count Olaf.
--Don't cue the violins just yet.
Before grief has the chance to settle in, the young Bauedelaires quickly realize that the eccentric Olaf doesn't plan to keep them around --just their inheritence.
And with this premise, Violet, Klaus and Sunny set of dark and semi-morbid tale of misadventure and last-minute saves that make Macguyver look as if he were just pandering for cubscout badges. Always haunting, but at times so bizarre you're not sure rather to laugh or frown, A Series of Unfortunate Events will have you pondering just how will it all end for these unfortunate orphans.
Jim Carrey's interpretation of Count Olaf is like taking a deep breath of relief after expecting a surprise party you'd planned to go horribly wrong. Never even faintly cordial or caring, his Olaf is a sinister mix of seeming harmless eccentric and pretentious megalomaniac. A master of disguise (though really, he’s not all that good), he repeatedly interrupts the children’s quest to find an Adequate Ever-After.
Emily Browning, who plays Violet, could easily give Emma Watson’s Hermione Granger a run for her money. She masters surprise, anger and despair with the elegance of an actress twice her age. Her most striking feature are her eyes and pouty lips, which convey a precociousness and make you follow her every motion.
Liam Aiken is the Angsty Harry Potter realized in full at age 12. Klaus is no-nonsense literary young man of the world with a memory like a steel trap. He analyzes situations the way one would shelve and categorize books. Liam's expressions have a wonderful melancholy that just radiate, rather he is interacting with other characters or in scenes where he is quietly tucked away in the library devouring books. It is his quiet strength that so well balances his counterparts.
But the scene-stealer of them all is Sunny, whose adorable babble puts an interesting spin on reading subtitles. Her expressions are priceless. She can display extraordinary zen-like patience, annoyance, amusement and serves to mock nearly every adult encountered with commentary that only Violet and Klaus understand. And outside of biting everything within reach, she also becomes an acrobat of sorts, as she is constantly picked up, tossed about and caught in the ruckus.
The feel of Gothic Romance is not just the background of the movie, it is the movie. From perpetual sunsets to houses built on stilts atop a dark torrent sea, one can stop listening to dialogue for a moment just to enjoy the scene unfolding. It would not do this movie justice to simply blurt “Tim Burton” then leave things to your imagination. The dark lush tones and sets do not underwhelm the senses, nor overwhelm its stars. It is a visual perfection, like a starry sky unobstructed by city lights.
Look for Glenn Close, Cedric the Entertainer and even Dustin Hoffman to make their stints.
And who, you might wonder, is the voice behind the narration?
That answer is a pleasant surprise which you will be most fortune to discover as you stay glued to your seats to watch the fascinating roll of credits.
Violet (Emily Browning) & Klaus Bauedelaire (Liam Aiken)