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Pick of
the indies
Mirrormask
Remarkably beautiful, hypnotic and imaginative, Mirrormask is
an adolescent fantasy come to the screen with such vividness
and innovation that even adults will enjoy it.
With astonishing visuals and CGI as supplied by the Jim Henson
Company this ditty about a young circus performer who becomes
trapped in another world is a triumph of style over content.
But thats all right, given that the films message
is about family values, misunderstandings and coming to terms
with things that just arent all that clear at first.
Directed by Dave McKean and Neil Gaiman, this tale finds
an ideal heroine in the 15-year-old British actress Stephanie
Leonidas.
Playing Helena Campbell, she is a talented performer and artist
who is nevertheless weary of playing centre role in her parents
circus (Her parents are played by Rob Brydon and Gina McKee).
Yet when her mother collapses and is rushed to hospital, it
is almost as if Helenas psychic energy causes a break
into another world, a place where her overbearing mother becomes
a mythic creature, all powerful and conniving.
On the subconscious journey to find the Mirrormask which holds
the key to Helenas problems, her companion Valentine (Jason
Barry in a truly breathtaking performance) is part court jester,
part confidant in the strange fantasy landscape.
Nicely paced, amazingly designed and actually quite spot-on
in its analysis of mother-daughter problems and adolescent issues,
Mirrormask is the most innovative, most imaginative films to
come to the big screen for a long time.
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