The BFG - Review
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Jermain Clement, Penelope Wilson, Rebecca hall, Rafe Spall, Bill Hader.
Spielberg. An adaptation of a beloved Roald Dahl classic. Fantastic and promising trailers. The combination of these ingredients alluded to sure-fire success, but the result is less appetising than one may have hoped for.
Orphan Sophie's dreary life takes a turn for the fantastical when she is captured by a giant and taken to a land where they roam and inhabit. After a period of understandable sacredness and insecurity, Sophie learns that her captor is a caring and endearing individual and affectionately gives him the nickname BFG (that's Big Friendly Giant, in case you've been living under a rock). Not only is an unlikely friendship formed, but Sophie's presence soon attracts unwanted attention from nymphs-eating giants, and she and BFG must take drastic measures to rid the beasts from the land.
Whenever the film seems to float out of the audience's grasp, a strong performance from Mark Rylance as the titular character anchors it. Spielberg previously collaborated with Rylance on 2015's historical drama Bridge of Spies and guided him to Oscar glory, and the two continue to prove they are a strong creative match. Rylance delivers another stellar performance and his expressive presence is truly felt under those elephantine ears and thick West Country accent. Meanwhile, Ruby Barnhill does a fine job as Sophie, BFG's companion, specifically in the film's earlier scenes as she captures the inquisitive nature of the character perfectly. However, as the picture continues, her acting becomes much more visible and most definitely forced. The character even began to irritate me as she would pick upon BFG's grammatical errors that he was clearly self-conscious about - give him a break, he's trying, alright!
The CGI is expectantly thoroughly well realised and will keep you suspended in disbelief that giants could walk amongst us - well, tiptoe around town and thieve your dreams as you kip. Albeit enchanting and magical, certain scenes often outstay their welcome and moments that should have found themselves on the cutting room floor are inexplicably present. The standout monotonous sequence is when Sophie and BFG visit the Queen as they desire to seek support in ridding Giant Country of supremacist giants. What ensues is a prolonged experience of watching BFG navigate the customs of social interaction and clumsily consuming the plethora of breakfast assortments he is presented with. Intending to be comedic and bemusing, I found it exasperating and tedious. Willing the film to end, I found myself wondering; is the Cynical Cinephile in me being too harsh, or is The BFG simply not delivering on the strength of its promise?
Despite the flowing attributes the film has going for it unfortunately The BFG ends up being quite forgettable entry in Spielberg's filmography as it certainly won't make the commercial or critical impact it aspired to.
EB
Cast: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Jermain Clement, Penelope Wilson, Rebecca hall, Rafe Spall, Bill Hader.
Spielberg. An adaptation of a beloved Roald Dahl classic. Fantastic and promising trailers. The combination of these ingredients alluded to sure-fire success, but the result is less appetising than one may have hoped for.Orphan Sophie's dreary life takes a turn for the fantastical when she is captured by a giant and taken to a land where they roam and inhabit. After a period of understandable sacredness and insecurity, Sophie learns that her captor is a caring and endearing individual and affectionately gives him the nickname BFG (that's Big Friendly Giant, in case you've been living under a rock). Not only is an unlikely friendship formed, but Sophie's presence soon attracts unwanted attention from nymphs-eating giants, and she and BFG must take drastic measures to rid the beasts from the land.
Whenever the film seems to float out of the audience's grasp, a strong performance from Mark Rylance as the titular character anchors it. Spielberg previously collaborated with Rylance on 2015's historical drama Bridge of Spies and guided him to Oscar glory, and the two continue to prove they are a strong creative match. Rylance delivers another stellar performance and his expressive presence is truly felt under those elephantine ears and thick West Country accent. Meanwhile, Ruby Barnhill does a fine job as Sophie, BFG's companion, specifically in the film's earlier scenes as she captures the inquisitive nature of the character perfectly. However, as the picture continues, her acting becomes much more visible and most definitely forced. The character even began to irritate me as she would pick upon BFG's grammatical errors that he was clearly self-conscious about - give him a break, he's trying, alright!
The CGI is expectantly thoroughly well realised and will keep you suspended in disbelief that giants could walk amongst us - well, tiptoe around town and thieve your dreams as you kip. Albeit enchanting and magical, certain scenes often outstay their welcome and moments that should have found themselves on the cutting room floor are inexplicably present. The standout monotonous sequence is when Sophie and BFG visit the Queen as they desire to seek support in ridding Giant Country of supremacist giants. What ensues is a prolonged experience of watching BFG navigate the customs of social interaction and clumsily consuming the plethora of breakfast assortments he is presented with. Intending to be comedic and bemusing, I found it exasperating and tedious. Willing the film to end, I found myself wondering; is the Cynical Cinephile in me being too harsh, or is The BFG simply not delivering on the strength of its promise?
Despite the flowing attributes the film has going for it unfortunately The BFG ends up being quite forgettable entry in Spielberg's filmography as it certainly won't make the commercial or critical impact it aspired to.
EB
Comments
Post a Comment