BY: ORANGECHAIR
I will admit I saw this film almost a full month before I wrote this review. I was not going to write a review of it not because it was a bad film but I was working on other things. I really did not there was much in it that would be nominated for an Oscar but once I again I underestimated the wondrous Actress that is Meryl Streep. This film was pure fun with solid, though not Oscar worthy, performances from every man and woman in it.
Based on a play of the same name, Into the Woods takes a number of famous fairy tales and weaves their stories together to create something wholly unique and entertaining. The story begins with a number of main characters making wishes, the most important wish being made by the Baker (James Corden) and the Baker’s Wife (Emily Blunt). The two wish for a child and it is quickly revealed that they are having such trouble because the Baker’s father angered a Witch (Meryl Streep) who then cast a curse on his house. The Baker and his wife still live in the same house so the curse has been passed down to them. The Witch offers to take away the curse if they bring her “the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn and the slipper as pure as gold.” The Baker and his wife head into the woods to collect the items. While trying to break the curse the two encounter Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy), Prince Charming (Chris Pine), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), the Wolf (Johnny Depp), Jack (Daniel Huttlestone), Jack’s beanstalk and Jack’s giants.
This was a very well rounded film. Led by the always talented Meryl Streep, the cast of well known actors and actresses proved not only their acting skills but that they could also sing. The most surprising voice was that of Chris Pine who performed one of the two best songs in the film, the hilarious ‘Agony.’ While each character was nearly perfectly cast, the two most remarkable performances came from the youngest of the cast. Daniel Huttlestone, who played Jack, and Lilla Crawford, who played Little Red Riding Hood, commanded the screen as they sang and danced across it. The fact that the two actors came from Broadway explains their comfort with the musical but their ability to hold their own with Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep and many more made them the most engaging and entertaining characters in the film.
This film was very fun to watch but it does not surprise me that it did not get many big nominations. Every member of the cast did their part and the film was well shot but nothing stood out as Oscar worthy much beyond Costume or Production Design. Meryl Streep did earn a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Her performance did warrant a nomination but I would be shocked if she won. The field is much too strong this season for Meryl’s role and performance to win. This is a 7 out of 10 film. While it is not necessarily an Oscar winning film, it is quite fun and worthwhile to watch.
Gold and Silver Listvision 