ANlMAl lON lAN lAS/ CORALINE (PG) 100min 000.
Although The Nightmare Before Christmas reflected the gothic imagination of Tim Burton, much of the charm was down to the directorial skills of Henry Selick, whose latest film Coraline places him alongside Nick Park as a rare master of the discipline of stop-motion animation.
With barely a hint of computer generated trickery, Coraline is a lush and visually imaginative adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s children's novel, depicted though the eyes of Coraline Jones, voiced by Dakota Fanning. After her family move to Pink Mansions, Coraline quickly becomes bored with the large dusty house, and in particular with her parents (Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman), who seem devoted not to her adolescent needs, but to the computers they’re writing a gardening catalogue on.
Selick’s film depicts Coraline’s humdrum existence over a lengthy, low- key build-up, but the fantasy kicks into top gear when she discovers a secret door that leads her into an alternate version of her home. As well as finding that her parents are transformed into her Other Mother and Other Father, attentive creatures with buttons for eyes, Coraline also encounters a variety of other eccentrics including competitive neighbours Miss Forcible and Miss Spink (Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders), Mr Bobinsky the strongman (Ian McShane) and a surly cat (Keith David) which can flit effortlessly between dimensions. Although there’s no song-and- dance numbers, or even visual jokes to lighten the pervasive gloom, Selick‘s film presents a macabre and often scary menagerie of eye- boggling creatures that’s effective in both the 3D and 20 presentations supplied, with the dark, disturbing imagery gaining narrative weight from the moral strength of the central conceit. Coraline may be nothing more than a little girl who wants attention, but her experiences in the inverted household teach her that although receiving soulless devotion might be fun for a while, real affection has to be earned.
Selick’s film offers the kind of ‘be careful what you wish for’ message familiar from children’s literature, but dressed up in innovative stop-motion trimmings which render Gaiman‘s tale freshly entertaining, for children or adults alike. (Eddie Harrison)
I Gener'a/ r‘e/ease from PM 8 May.
46 THE LIST 3C Apr—1.1 Mai. 2379
is ANYBODY THERE? (12A) 95min on
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r’t'ighried saxa'fse'xg .‘,' g, "f East.'.'cod's nonula' t rat/1' persona. Johr‘ ’r‘f:>"“:.:;o" hes; flln‘ “trans an the 'esw"..:r ‘ affecten t'1a‘. semrat :lv"t?'tl°u’),"fs 'tarbour tor Mrchaei Car'te
Carne bla',t3 Clarence. a sarcdgr rrragrcran struuulrnt; to corre .".'t‘ We after the death .,f "hrs ‘.‘.;fe After moving; .nto a (lrat: seasrdeto'sm retirement home :;.'.'rerl b, Damn Morr sset, ar‘d Anne Mane Duff. Clarence Is befriended tr, tnerr te" year old son Eduard rBrll iv litterr. a day dreaming rnalcontent ‘.-.'rtn a fascination for all thrnus surrernatura. Somewhere hetl.'.'eer‘ the letlllll, Clarence l)l’£l‘71i’;l;t; and the ohm realities of Frfe ;n the horr‘.e. an unlrkel, friendship teaches Eduard about lrfe't; hard truths, notably through a shocking rrtcrdent dunno ‘.'.rhrch one of Clarence's tricks goes nrolentl; wrong.
Crowley's frlm makes a good companion piece to (Earth Jennings
Son of R's/moon. and not rust bemuse
both films feature Mrlner' (:ornrnu o‘ age In a i9808l<31ll0lllt3llt home Where Jennings focuses on the charming narvete of youth. Peter Harness scrrpt considers the cocksure charm of the *.'.rorldl:.a with Carne skillfully underolayrng; a ("Jotentrally mawkrsh role rn a way that averds obvrous StflllllllOlllilHI)’. Veterans ROSOIHQP,’ Hams. Peter Vaughn. Sylvra Syms and Leslre Phrllrps all contribute rn mrnor roles. but thrs rs Carne's turn rn the soctlrght. (Eddre Harrrsonr
I Se/ected r'e/ease .‘rom Frx ’ Ma
DRAMA COMEDY O’HORTEN (12A) 89min .000
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Se/ecfed “#06131: "Urn in" ’4. i/i/r.’
Maturity. loneliness and the :nhereht freedoms of break'ng t" rout/‘e are Investrgated rn deirghtful srxth feature from the gifted Noruzregtar‘ tr'rr ”taker of Krtchen Stories and Factoturn. Odd Harten rBaard Owe rs about to retire After 40 years as a trarn driver between Oslo and Bergen. tne 67-,ear-cld O‘Hortee has become an overl, cautrous and metrculous man. When a serres, of br/arre
unexpected erents force O‘Horten to break hrs routrne he frnrls nurse
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physcal and mental Journe‘, of realisatrOn and change.
Wrrter director Bent Harner has fashioned somethmg s .veet and lrkeabie 9.1: of material that c0u|d so easm, nave been 'naudlrr‘. and unsettling. Essentrall/ a road movie albeit one narrthout a clear chronology. and guided b, a krnd of benign exrstentral philosophy, O'Horten :s essentially a frlrn about mothers and sons arr; the connectrons and destrnres that run between thenr. O'Horten's trrp rnto the unknown rs actually gurded by the dreams Of hrs no.7 senile r'rtother — on drscoverrng a secret about her he rs driven to pay homage to her. There's a beautrful crrCuIarrty to rt all. one that buckles at the inherent agersm of the age and leads one to belreve that there may Just be wrsdom an years. The fantastic Norwegran cast. all well known theatre and frlm actors rn their homeland. are a Joy and John Errk Kaad's porgnant s0undtrack rs ourte specral. For tobacco trends thrs is also one of the best smokrng films rn a while. rPaul Dale;
I Gf-T G/asgow from Fr; 8. Fl/thUSG. Edrnburgh from Frr 29 May,