Into the Woods (2014)

So my mother and I decided it would be fun to take my niece, my nephew, and my sister-in-law to a movie over the holiday break. While looking for a movie for us to go too I had the thought that given my nieces predilection for princess and musicals Into the Woods would probably be something she'd enjoy. While I was vaguely aware of the Stephen Sondheim musical I knew basically nothing about the plot, except that it was a play on a number of classic fairytales. Given that the cast was good (I am especially fond of Anna Kendrick), the musical well thought of, and Disney was in charge I figured I would like the film fine, what I wasn't anticipating was how much I'd love it.

Into the Woods was so much more then I'd expected, it went along as more or less what I'd thought it would be, even started to look like it was wrapping up, but then it just kept going, and got brilliant. I was blown away. Appropriating Jack and the Beanstalk , Little Red Ridding Hood, Cinderella, its own more or less original fairytale, and to a lesser extent Rapunzel, the movie follows these characters as they go 'into the woods' in pursuit of their respective quests. They each seem to achieve their goals, as they do in there fairytales, but then the widow of the giant finds another way down from the clouds and starts laying waste to the kingdom in pursuit of Jack. The characters again return to the woods in search of safety, but the giantess has disfigured the landscape, the familiar paths are gone, the characters get lost, there narratives confused. Ever After it turns out isn't entirely happy, life goes on, death, separation, unfaithfulness, bitterness, and regret. What we plan for our lives doesn't always work out, what we think will bring us happiness may only be fleeting. But amid all the loss and in the unknown paths of life we can find one another, perhaps again, and we can make our lives anew. It's a beautiful and vital lesson, life is not a fairytale, but its worth it.

A brilliant repurposing of traditional and well known fairytales for modern times, and without being gimmicky, or shoving its message down ones throat. This motion picture gently guides you to realizations much more profound then you'd expect to find in what on the surface may appear to be just a kids movie. But these are lessons that kids and even adults need to hear, that love comes in many forms, that people make mistakes, that plans don't always work out, that there is death in the world, that the breakup of old families can lead to new ones, that you can find your place, and that even when all seems to be lost there can still be hope. I flippen loved this movie, it was so unexpectedly profound and effecting. It was expertly plotted, the performances surprising, even the music, though a tad repetitive, was enjoyable. It had its own look, it combined filmic and theatrical conventions well, it was a little dark, but in a way that can still speak to children. I think all the family I saw this with got something out of it, and given all that's happened to us lately I think its something we needed to see, I know I did. ****