Reign Of The Evil (Bitch) Queen

After the childish bluster of Julia Roberts in Mirror Mirror recently it comes as quite a relief that Rupert Sanders new take on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale is light years better in quality. Following the recent trend in trying to ‘Nolan up’ a property by making it more dark and reality based (as Christopher Nolan did with Batman Begins) Snow White & The Huntsman grounds the fairy tale as a medieval story of oppression and revolution in a land where magic, trolls and fairies feel as real as war, taxes and mud.

The result is a dark, mature and highly atmospheric epic that’s far more enjoyable than I’d hoped. While there’s no great depth to the story (this is the archetypal heroes journey transposed to the Snow White lore) it is pleasingly slow and deliberate in it’s pacing, has many artistic flourishes to admire (some experimental editing and camera techniques) and Sanders has a remarkable eye for conjuring fresh and interesting visuals. His simple compositions are balanced out by rich texture in the production design and photography, the effects are stunning and practically flawless (courtesy of Rhythm & Hues) and James Newton Howard’s score lush score ranges from moody to uplifting.

The impressive cast deliver great work with Kristen Stewart fine as Snow White although you can’t help but think that a ‘Jennifer Lawrence’ type couldn’t have been more effective. Chris Hemsworth, complete with convincing Scots accent proves that Thor was no accident and demonstrates he’s a fully fledged leading man as the tragic and roguish Huntsman while Charlize Theron amps up the movie tenfold whenever she’s on screen. Sporting a flawless British accent, she’s the very essence of beauty personified…fitting for a character who values perception of her outer beauty above all else. With a performance from quietly menacing to eye bulging theatrics, Theron should be awarded for villain of the year if such a category were to exist in any revered film academy around the globe.

The film makers have to be admired from vering away from a Twilight-esque love triangle subplot meaning Snow White retains it’s integrity by staying restrained, subtle and quietly affecting. A wonderfully cinematic and arty reinterpretation of a familiar story, Narnia fluff this is not.