ARTHUR AND THE MINIMOYS

With the long Easter holiday coming up, a lot of films suitable for the whole family will be released, and among them a couple of CG animations from different studios.

I have the privilege to see the preview screening of Luc Besson's latest (and rumoured to be his last) directed film "Arthur et les Minimoys". And I whole-heartedly recommend it to those looking for a quality family entertainment at cinema this holiday.

Luc Besson has not been directing since his big flop "The Story of Joan of Arc" in 1999. This partly live-action partly CG 3D animation feature is his come-back after such a long break. And this film, which he wrote and produced, showed his well-rested spirit and high energy level. It combines children's fables, action, comedy, romance, and the fifth element---his vision, into one densely-packed and fully-charged film spans merely 90 minutes.

Yes, the film is fast-paced, without a single minute wasted or bored. Not one frame can be deleted from the finished product. The editing style also gives a similar feeling. So, the audience is guaranteed for a great and exciting roller-coaster ride. Similar to Disney's "James and the Giant Peach" (Big flop from director who brought us "Nightmare before Christmas"), this film opened and closed with live actions while in the middle the adventure of Arthur in the mini-world of the Minimoys was fully done in CG animation. I think such a method is appropriately used here and to full use.

The story is pretty simple and would be easy to follow even for the very small children. Arthur, played brilliantly and suitably by Freddie Highmore (very gifted young actor of only 14 years old now who gave some stunning and emotional performance in films like "Finding Neverland"), not unlike Freddie's title role in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" coincidentally, is a good boy who originally lived happily with Grandparents (the wonderful Mia Farrow as Grandma), suddenly facing poverty and loss of sheltering, somehow entered the magical underground miniature world of the Minimoys, became a hero in that kingdom and got rich in the real world after the eventful "mini" expedition.

The voice talents include some eye-popping megastars, among them Madonna as the Princess Selenia, Robert de Niro as her King Father, and David Bowie as the evil Maltazard! The overall effect is immensely funny, hugely entertaining, and action packed. The lines are generally well written, with some very hilarious one-liners. The style is quite cartoonish and unrealistic, including the performance by the actors and the camera angles or movements.

The good thing about this film is that there would be different things for people at different age to appreciate and laugh at. In the screening I attended, all adults and children were equally having a great time, laughing and cheering. And I can feel otherwise the palpable silence and concentration of the audience throughout. Also, Luc Besson had included some moral lessons and extra touch in this apparently commercial product. Though briefly and lightly, it touches on the family value, the problem of obsessively working parents, the importance of the book knowledge above all others, the importance of environmental protection, the satirical look at the dictatorship, the mocking at the incapable but self-inflated ruler, and some more if the adults are paying enough attention. In fact, it is not simply what Snoop Dogg's character Max said in the film: "That's Entertainment!" More than that honestly.

And don't you leave so soon when the credits roll, remember to stay behind for the inventive "Curtain Call"!!

Luc Besson is already planning to produce two more films for this trilogy: Arthur et la vengeance de Maltazard (Arthur and the revenge of Maltazard) & Arthur et la guerre des deux mondes (Arthur and the war between two worlds)

THE QUEEN

Hey, I've seen the Queen...hmm...I mean the film of course.

My Gosh! Helen Mirren "is" the Queen...her appearance, her gesture, her grace, her pace, her speech, and even her mannerism, like the fiddling with the glasses, all these resemblances are genuinely uncanny.

However, just mere impersonation (I'm still objecting the Best Actor awarded for Capote) should not and would not guarantee her taking home the Best Actress Award(s), it's truly her fine act--the successful portrayal of this well-known public figure with a steel and cold exterior while having the vulnerability concealed inside. Confident, proud and also human, Helen did exactly all that and more. I can't be more glad that she got the unanimous recognitions she so much deserved. However, she did win at the expense of the Queen, and so I guess it is nice for her acceptance speech at the Oscar to end with a sincere mention of her :"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Queen".

Actually, the whole cast is pretty strong. The other lead in the movie is Tony Blair, played brilliantly by Michael Sheen. He is so good that one can love Blair after seeing it, forgiving a lot of his stupidity and kissing up to Bush in reality. And another wonderful actor James Cromwell played Prince Philip, and got all the great one-liners, which are hilarious. His stern yet humorous portrayal brought along a stir of comic relief to the film, and so is the Queen Mother who had a scene talking about Diana's funeral which is simply laugh-out-loud funny!

Apart from the tremendous acting and witty British humour, the film still has a lot of facets for enjoyment and admiration. The storyline is fluid and engaging, with the tension built up successfully and appropriately. It can even moves you towards the end. The direction is marvelous, and Stephen Frears managed to manipulate you to firstly hate and then later concern about the Royal family. The inclusion of the real news footage, intervened with the re-created film footage, gave the film an extra realistic feel. With such a famous incidence put on the screen, a lot of the memorable scenes need to be shot accurately and masterfully. They definitely pulled it off with these scenes like the one where the Royal family returned to the Palace, reading the cards and examining the flowers. Their relative positions and each one's posture (including Prince Charles holding the hand of young Prince Harry who's bending over to read the cards from the people) matched perfectly with my vivid memory. The only thing that I'm not happy about is the background music, which somehow was used not only too much, but sounded too dramatic to the level that it's sometimes over the edge and even disturbed my viewing. Although the Verdi's Requiem used at the Funeral proceeding just could not be more suitable.

I personally think that the scenes with the Queen and the Stag are somehow a bit redundant. They were included there for too obvious reason and were even undermining the originally great story. It somehow looked down on the audience, or at least a bit awkward to be included there nevertheless. The writing was strong overall though, and especially good in the tug-of-war between Blair and the Queen, and their relationship......Simply brilliant!!!

All in all, after viewing, one can't help but realising that the Royal family is after all just a family, and the Queen is just another old woman. They also face the difficulties and cope with them every single day like us. However, with more power comes with more responsibility, and less freedom of will and less privacy. It was stated clearly at the start of the film even before the title appeared : The Queen admires the ordinary British people having the right to vote for the Prime Minister who would run the country for them. Ironic in a way...and irony is unavoidable in everyone's life, regardless of being rich or poor.