[Review] Maleficent (2014)

“I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream/I know you, that gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam/And I know it’s true that visions are seldom all they seem/But if I know you, I know what you’ll do/You’ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream ” – Once Upon a Dream

actors: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Brenton Thwaites, Isobelle Molloy.

director: Robert Stromberg

Edge and Back: 6/10

Linda Woolverton’s screenplay took inspiration from Charles Perrault tale and follows the new trend set by the movie studios to give an insight on the the other side of the childhood stories we grew up with. Maleficent delves into the past of the all time favorite Disney villainess with a twist. This is not a first time with “Snow White and the Huntsman” paving the way for tackling the antagonists point of view – sort of with Ravenna – but the moment Angelina Jolie was attached to ‘Maleficent’, the expectations were high and the product delivered doesn’t seem to seduce you completely.

Robbie Collin from The Telegraph wrote: “The action sequences are executed with rhythm and punch, and our heroine swoops and swirls around like Iron Man in a sheath dress. Maleficent may be short on true enchantment, but until we find a superhero who can pull off a black silk cocktail gown in battle, she’s very welcome” – true, Jolie is fierce and beautiful and delivers each line and action sequence as entertaining as possible but the flaws rest in the screenplay. The story is simple and naive at times and the other characters are delegated to PG mode with no layers of personality or chance for the public to grow and love them.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. It’s the story behind the bitterness that plagued Maleficent’s heart, a young an rather naive fairy who protects the Moors from the attacks of the Kingdom of Men. It takes one vicious betrayal and mutilation to make the young woman grow into the Villain we all know and love. Here lies another problem. ABC’s Once Upon a Time kicked a similar style with Regina Mills, the vicious Evil Queen but where Lara Parrilla had four seasons of in-depth story and development, Angelina Jolie was to struggle with 97 minutes of falling from grace and reach redemption. She does it with style, chewing each line given with a dramatized English accent befitted for a Fairy Queen but all seems put on track for a fast-forward tale that doesn’t leave room for growth and doesn’t allow Jolie’s Maleficent to really showcase the wide specter of emotions.

Elle Fanning’s Aurora is a decor-character put on screen to be sweet, beautiful and melt the frozen heart of the antagonist. She doesn’t have much to do and it’s impossible to really start caring for the young girl. Sharlto Copley’s  King Stephan is another tale. Here is a bad guy you want to see dead and buried and possible suffer more than any fan’s wish for GoT Joffrey torture before annihilation. Yet, as the love interest and the one who has a deep impact of the tale of Maleficent he fails to convince. On the other hand, let’s raise our glasses for Sam Riley ( Byzantium), the delicious Diaval, pet raven, shape-shifter confident of Maleficent. If there’s a ship for these two may it be Malefival – horns like talon. Take a Brit die his hair a blacker shade and put him in a strapping leather outfit. Nicely done Disney and Diaval actually does more. He’s the voice of conscience for Maleficent as little lines as the poor man/raven has.

Dean Semler’s cinematography and Anna B. Sheppard’s costumes should receive a round of applause. Jolie simply shines in the outfits she adorns and hands down this movie is hers from start to finish, too bad she wasn’t given a darker script to work with.

“Maleficent” is a nice story following a wrapping  a la ‘Ever After’ but fails to intrigue and grow into its own. It’s too quick-paced and at times naive, letting everything rest on Jolie’s shoulders who dazzles with each smirk and raised eyebrow.

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