Review of Inkheart (2008) by Robert L — 05 May 2010

"Do you know how your story ends?".

So what if it's all been done before? The whole "there are special people" theme has been done hundreds of times in movies. So what the word to describe these people sounds like it's stolen from J.K. Rowling? "Silvertounge",. Parcletounge? It's all a little familiar... and maybe it is just me but the ability to read a book and have the characters come to life might be THE MOST DANGEROUS ability I've ever seen... the X-men have nothing on that.

Inkheart starts in the middle of itself. This isn't explained to the audience, and is disorienting to begin with, but you soon get your bearings and by the time the bad guys start to show up, you will know what is happening. Even though the film starts in the middle I would have personally preferred a touch stronger character development firs, but when judged in context to the rest of the movie this is a forgivable error.

Inkheart is like a reverse fantasy film, meaning that most drag the audience into a world beyond our own comprehension, one where magic is real, and mythological creatures are standard, however David Lindsay-Abarie (writer of the screenplay) turns the idea on it's head, and instead brings anything from Inkheart (the book) that is needed (mostly characters) into our world, into the world that we live in, into planet earth. It is that one bold difference that makes Inkheart a cut above the rest.

All the characters transported from the book are unique, each one confused, each one has adapted differently, and watching Faird (from Aladdin and the 40 thief's) try to adjust shows how thought out the characters really are.

The direction from Iain Softley is a large swerve from his last work (The Skeleton Key) but really there is nothing to define the film away from the rest in terms of direction, more the simple statement that he doesn't distract from the story. Iain is merely there to records what is in front of him. This sometimes is all a director should be.

Brendan Fraser is his predictable ordinary heroic father figure self as Mo. Him on his own would be a bore, but when you include the dull Eliza Bennett as his daughter you begin to fall into despair. Thank the lord for Andy Serkis, who enjoys playing bad guys, as the evil Capricorn. I can't catalog all the B-list actors who play various guards, but it is safe to say, there are enough of them for any fans. There are also some beautiful minor appearances from Jennifer Connelly, Jim Broadbent and even Helen Mirren. Even John Thomson makes a Cameo.

Of course for me the man of the film is Paul Bettany. He is still one of my favorite actors .Bettnay is just so wonderfully British and in Inkheart he finally brakes away from the stereotyping that has dogged him for such a long time.

Once you swallow the first stupid idea, which is named "the plot" you will be fine, enchanting for people who love books, or want to see a fairytale that aren't like the rest.