Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

 

Director: Bill Silberling

Cast: Jim Carrey, Merryl Streep, Jude Law, Timothy Spall, Billy Connelly, Catherine O'Hara, Liam Aikens, Emily Brownings, Kara and Shelby Hoffman

Genre: Adventure/Comedy 2004

Running time: 108 mins.

Rating:★★½ 

Based on the novels written by Daniel Handler, three children; Violet, Klaus, and Sunny (Emily Brownings, Liam Aikens, Kara and Shelby Hoffman), are left in the custody of cousin and stage actor Count Olaf (Jim Carrey) after a massive fire kills their parents. Through a series of unfortunate events, the children must stop Count Olaf from achieve is goal of stealing their parents vast fortune.

Surreal imagery, an all-star cast, and just a delightfully fun film to watch. However, just because it's a "children/family" film, doesn't mean you have to skimp and overreach the big mystery on the children's parents' secret. And the artsy-fartsy rip-off of Tim Burton-esque dark-blue contrasts in costume design, make-up, and set designs, which makes you quite quizzical on the director of the tv show, Judging Amy, on this particular project. Jim Carrey's comedy has gone stale with immature-frat boy-nothing new nor whimsicalness about his performance. Who would I have chosen for the role of Count Olaf then? Not Johnny Depp, even he has unfortunately lost his edge. Merryl Streep, Billy Connelly, Timothy Spall, Jude Law, AND (oh yes! A surprise appearance) Dustin Hoffman are the only reasons that would make the film worth while to see.

I can not help, but to hear the voice of my mother, when she says that "the book is always better than the movie." Although, I have yet to read the series, based on watching this film, my mother maybe right. There is also, Nanny McPhee-esque rip off too, which is odd to say because that film came out the following year. Nonetheless, Nanny McPhee was a much better film than this overachievement. Finally and on a pleasant note, a scene, I did enjoy the most as far as imagery goes, was when the last reminents of Aunt Josephine's (Merryl Streep) house is engulfed by the sea. The hope of a home is yet again lost, unattainable, and seemly without reason. Which the children find, as the audience finds, that home was with them all along, in each other.