Marval Movie

Summer Disney movie junque is worthwhile

 

Maleficent is creative and gorgeously filmed. Angelina Jolie is an otherworldly creature in her own right. She’s just unique and her cheekbones alone get acting credit. She is the adult title character.  

But first we meet her as a young but powerful fairy with fabulous wings. She’s sweet and cares about her world, the Moor, and all of the creatures in it. However, a human boy stumbles into the Moor. Curious about each other they develop a friendship. But alas, he yearns for power and works his way to being king of the human land. Maleficent is hurt at losing her friend, and hates that he has proclaimed war on the moor and her. Plus stripping her of her wings did not win points. Now an adult (Angelina) she transforms into a very goth magical creature with evil in her heart, and runs with a raven she befriends and turns into a man, a dragon, whatever suits her cause.  

When she hears the king (Sharlto Copley) has a new baby girl, Maleficent arrives at the christening in full fury. She unfurls a curse upon the child that on her sixteenth birthday, she shall prick her finger on a spinning wheel, and fall into a deep sleep until awakened by love’s true kiss. Bitter Maleficent believes there is no such thing anymore.  Yes, this is the tale of Sleeping Beauty, only from the witch perspective.  

Fearing for his daughter, the king sends her into the woods with three pixie caretakers. These bumbling creatures do little to watch Aurora. Meanwhile, Maleficent lurks and saves her at various turns. Aurora meets Maleficent and is unafraid. They develop a friendship and the girl cavorts in the moor with the magic animals. She’s beautiful (Elle Fanning glows on screen with a winsome smile) and Maleficent is rather besotted with the “beastie” child. She says that term fondly.  

A key turning point is how Aurora manages to prick her finger and fall asleep. Who shall be her one true love kiss?  There’s been a young prince suitor. The raven/man has watched over her. Will she ever awaken? 

Maleficent is well done and interesting with smart dialogue. It’s not for wee ones, despite being a kid movie. You won’t fall asleep as Angelina’s green eyes captivate. She is a great villain heroine. Maleficent is magnificent.

The Beguiled opens in 1864 Virginia. It’s a hot steamy day as a young girl combs the woods for mushrooms. She comes across a wounded Union soldier and helps him back to the Seminary Girls home and school where a few young ladies remain. The headmistress (Nicole Kidman) helps clean his wound and sew him up. She chooses to not put out the blue scarf as a signal to the local Confederate patrols. Instead she agrees to protect him as he heals. And so the tension begins.

The soldier (played by a charming Colin Farrell) has his smooth Irish brogue working for him as he verbally seduces each female – girls from age 10 up to the older teen (a hot stifled Elle Fanning) to a yearning for a man’s touch young woman (a repressed but lovely Kirsten Dunst). And the headmistress herself is not immune to his charms. Each female in the house slowly feels she is “special” in his eyes and they vie for attention. Whether it’s dinner where they all dress up, play music, sing, and flirt. Or if they come into his room to “check on him”.

Tension mounts and this movie is a slow burn. Each moment hints at danger, and in the distance musket shots echo. Director Sofia Coppola has an eye for filming a pretty picture, each southern tableau dripping with moss and sexual heat. Jealousy builds and then erupts. Then all hell breaks loose in the house. Let’s just say this does not bode well for the one man in the pit with circling cats. I won’t say more. The Beguiled is a mood movie. It’s a slow pace build to quite a finale.  Excellent acting and storytelling. When do you wave the blue scarf?