The Fairest One of All?

Apparently I had a lot to say about this movie...

I've been used to having films released in my country (ie. Mexico) months after it's US release, so I was completely unaware that Mirror, Mirror does not open in theaters until next Friday. Crazy!

I don't want to postpone this post until then because then, it just won't ever happen.

How 'bout, in the meantime, you just flip through the pictures and then come back and discuss? Or if spoilers aren't really spoilers for you, then read on.

I had a couple of hours to spare at the mall and decided to pop into cinema and see this. 

The story, I felt, was lacking in a solid structure. I was left with more questions than satisfied (or fully distracted) by all the pretty colours. Maybe it was the 1:30 running time that did not allow for a full satisfactory development. A bullied and unconfident Snow White discovers her gutsy side,  falls in love, regains her kingdom, blah, blah, blah... The dialogue? Trying too hard to be funny and tried to move the story along. 

Visually, it is lavishly breath-taking: vibrant and colourful. The perfect fairy tale setting, the ideal place for magical happenings. Then again, what else could you expect from Tarsem? Need I mention The Cell and The Fall? His vision is rare, unique and beautiful.

Lilly Collins -aka Phil Collins' daughter- is cute as a fuckin' button. Just look at her; the Audrey Hepburn comparisons are not in vain* [Must be the brows]. I felt like her performance was fluctuating throughout the film; from trying to play the part of graceful Disney princess to times when she came across as someone having fun in their first major role in a feature film. During "her first kiss" scene for example, there were tender moments. Though the scene was meant to be awkward, it just felt awkward because she looked uncomfortable as herself, and not Snow White. 

Yet, there is her undeniable charm (also reminiscent of Hepburn) that pulls you in... Who knows, maybe with a couple more films under her belt she'll truly breakthrough. 

The (real) White Swan

The costumes (by Eiko Ishioka): Dr.Seuss meets Haute Couture, Elizabethan meets Bollywood. A real treat for the eyes! Along with the extra-ordinary sets (by Jille Azis & Paul Hotte), they were the perfect compliments to each other. 

Why did Julia Roberts have a semi British accent? And why did she go in and out of it? Or was that the character trying to be pretentious? I'm confused...

I was also confused by The Prince's butler appearance at the beginning, only to never come back on screen...  

Speaking of the Prince- I just need to put this out there and get it out of my system.

Armie Hammer is a hottie. He successfully embodied the mood of the film and, to me, drove the movie along- and I promise I'm not just saying that because of those gorgeous, blue puppy eyes and his voice that is as smooth and sweet as honey... Speaking of puppy! The (puppy) love potion scenes are heee-larious.

Just as funny as Nathan Lane's reaction to turning back into a human after being a cockroach. It's about as truthful a reaction as I could think of (considering the chances of it actually happening).

SPOILER ALERT!

Beasts are always lurking in a forest. They either have nothing better to do than wait for someone to come their way (no good doers), or they're under an evil witch's spell and can do nothing about it. The latter is the case in this scenario. The beast also just happens to be Snow White's long-lost father, the King. Boromir, er, Sean Bean makes a flawless transformation from Falkor-looking beast to human being king.

I think it's pretty safe to say that in movies (in stories, period) when someone disappears and are taken as dead, it's normally not the case. [Except, of course, in Stand by Me]

And the all lived happily ever after.

*cue Bollywood-type song*

That totally happened. And I hated it at first, but in retrospect, I think it was the perfect ending. Lily Collins sporting a Roman Holiday look, dancing and singing about believing in love? Every Bollywood film has a number like that. It quickly had me moving my shoulders up and down to the beat.

Note: If you've never seen a bollywood movie in your life- you need to. They are amazing, in every sense of the word. The most known worth giving a go is Devdas. 

And as for random break out into song, try this on for size (it's one of my favourites)

As for Snow White & the Huntsman? I believe it may have the upper hand, mostly because Bella Swan Kirsten Stewart is still all the craze (that is, at least until Katniss reigns in the Hunger Games). But let's also take into account that it is also the darker more brooding tale of the two- it will be different from the Snow White stories we know. This one won't definitely be suitable for children.

Pictures from tumblr and aceshowbiz.com 

* I'm a huge fan of Audrey Hepburn, so that is hard for me to say as no one can truly compare to her.