Film/TV

Curtains Up on The BFG

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A cute and cuddly fantasy that might be a little long-winded.

An orphan girl named Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) is snatched by the Big Friendly Giant, The BFG (Mark Rylance), and is taken to giant country. Sophie figures out that this giant isn’t like his mean, bulling brothers, led by the nasty Fleshlumpeater but rather a sweet and innocent being. Together they need to stop his brothers from doing damage to the human world.

This is a Steven Spielberg film? You wouldn’t think it at first but it is closer to the spirit of the director’s early works then most of his recent stuff. But does that make it good. Yes. And no.  Based on the book by Roald Dahl, Steven Spielberg’s The BFG had me on the fence. Part of me loved that my favorite director delves into a full blown fantasy film, one made with a painter’s eye and full of whimsy and impeccable craft; the other part of me wished he had shown a bit more restraint when piecing together long passages that seem to stop the movie cold. So it’s not a disaster but not a masterpiece. It’s a fun family film that will leave a smile on your face for a few hours and then forgotten.

This is similar to Spielberg’s excellent E.T. Both involved children and their emotional growth, both are about love, trust and friendship. Both films were written by the late Melissa Matheson. E.T is a masterpiece that appeals to all ages. It kept everyone, young and old, at attention with a lean narrative. The BFG might have adults yawing around the one hour mark and kids with short attention spans squirming in their seats. Scenes of dialogue, that are well written mind you, drag on a tad longer than the standard kiddie flick.  But not all is lost because – it’s Spielberg and he knows what he is doing. There are many sequences that are astounding. The first 20 minutes, which include  Sofie’s abduction by the BFG and their journey to the giant country, are actually perfect. He sets up the world, both ours and the giants beautifully.

Mark Rylance, for my money, should get a nomination for this film. Sure it’s motion capture art but so what? It’s all him and he is fantastic. With his soulful eyes and warm personality, he’s a Spielberg creation in the best sense. The director has a real knack for casting kids and Ruby Barnhill is going to have a long career. Tech credits are top notch as usual with all his teams doing great work. Pleased to see John Williams’ name in the credits. He’s back from a Spielberg hiatus (he did not score Bridge of Spies) and delivered another top notch score.

It may be long and far from Spielberg’s best work but it is still worth a trip to the multiplex.

One Reply to “Curtains Up on The BFG

  1. I was disappointed. Some nice moments here and there, particularly in the 3rd act when the giant eats some food, but an awfully long movie for a story where two people just hang out and chat. Still, given the cost, sad to to see this is the biggest bomb of Spielberg’s career. It didn’t deserve that.

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