This is a film that I have been indescribably excited about for years now. Since Angie first signed on to be a part of it, I have been waiting with bated breath, periodically checking IMBD for any sign of progress.
Not being a particularly huge fan of the whole Sleeping Beauty franchise myself, my excitement was not driven by a long-standing love for Aurora and her story of a curse bestowed upon her that was only broken after many years of being asleep and the kiss of a strange man who always made me quite uncomfortable (I MEAN, SERIOUSLY, WHAT GUY JUST ROAMS THE FOREST TO FIND SLEEPING GIRLS TO KISS?!). I recall the only part about the story I enjoyed being that the entire kingdom would become entirely overgrown as all of its inhabitants slept. I LOVED seeing all the different interpretations on a deserted kingdom. The way the vines would take over every aspect of the town, twirling around the ovens of abandoned bread and closets filled with lavish fabrics and gowns. That, being the creepy kid I was, was always my favourite part. Not the kiss. Not the search for true love. The desertion and dark.
This film changed everything for me.
First and foremost, I need to tell you guys that the cinematography? Mind-blowing. I could hardly believe the incredible background. Every detail was accounted for in this perfect re-imagining of the classic Sleeping Beauty story. The creature-creation was wonderful. I loved the way the entire land was created seemingly from scratch to establish a world that only could be inhabited by fairies and fantastical forest creatures.
Second? The makeup and hair blew my goddamned mind. I couldn't find one single flaw in the entire film (barring, of course, Aurora's stupid eyebrows, but made me want to kill myself every time she was on the screen. WHY DID THEY HAVE TO BE SO DARK?!). I was stunned by how perfectly executed each prosthetic and brush stroke was. In fact, after the film, Husband and I were discussing Maleficent's makeup and how the horns were installed, only for me to find out that Justin Smith Esquire, a gorgeous milliner from London who I hung out with just prior to leaving the UK, created the headpiece. I was delighted to find this out and felt marginally closer to the film and Angie with this knowledge. He's a wildly talented man and I couldn't have been more pleased for him.
The biggest, and most glorious thing about the film was the storyline. The way that the story had been twisted not only from the point of view of the villain, but also from the point of view of a villain that hadn't always been a villain was spectacular. the scope and approach to the story was superb and I couldn't have even hoped for it to have been better. I found the script to be perfectly executed and the cast immaculately selected to interpret the story just as it needed to be.
Overall, it is a fabulous film. Incredible to watch for young, old, male, female, everyone. My ten-year-old step-daughter adored it, as did her grandmother AND my husband. It's worth a watch and worth dragging any and all of your loved ones to.
