My newest fervent obsession is these fantastic "children's" books by Daniel Handler. Below a few of my favorite links. Coming soon: A page of my favorite Snicket Quotes. There are some genius passages in these volumes.
My newest fervent obsession is these fantastic "children's" books by Daniel Handler. Below a few of my favorite links. Coming soon: A page of my favorite Snicket Quotes. There are some genius passages in these volumes.
Dear reader, if you've come here to read the scandalous scribblings of a disgruntled critic--made sour by endless hours stewing in a dark screening room--you've come to the wrong place.
If, however, you've come here to discover how a series of unfortunate events have paradoxically created a cinematic achievement of whimsically bleak comedy, then you've come to the right place.
In "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," an dauntingly long title that encapsulates author Daniel Handler's affection for literary asides and flowery language, director Brad Silberling and screenwriter Robert Gordon breathe life into Handler's demented universe of jubilant schadenfreude--a word meaning "taking pleasure in the misery of others."
The others, in this case, are the piteous Baudelaire orphans: inventor Violet (Emily Browning), bookworm Klaus (Liam Aiken) and sharp-toothed infant Sunny (twins Kara and Shelby Hoffman). With the sudden demise of their beloved parents, the Baudelaire children find themselves in the care of the monstrous Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), a cruel and vainglorious thespian bent on stealing the Baudelaire fortune. The diabolical Count sees no moral obstruction in arranging an untimely end for the Baudelaire trio, thereby leaving himself as the sole heir to their collective college funds.
If you love the grimmest of Grimm Brothers' fairy tales, "Shockheaded Peter," or Edward Gorey's tales of ill-fated curtain tuggers, then by all means continue reading. (And if you've suffered through my self-consciously ornate prose this long, then you're probably in on the joke and will get along famously with this motion picture.)
"Snicket" takes place in that familiar storybook zip code where children are more intelligent than the adults, who would be a great deal smarter if they would only bend an ear to those under 5 feet tall. And children too.
On this matter, all the actors playing the Baudelaire children aptly embody their sharp-eyed, worldly characters. Levelheaded and resourceful, they are unheard voices of reason except for the baby, who chews Scrabble tiles for leisure.
Conversely, comedian Carrey hams it up with high abandon as Count Olaf, walking a thin tightrope of modestly as he chomps scenery while being carefully conscious not to obscure the orphans' story. The actor exercised similar restraint this year's deliciously mindbending "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," as he blended into, not eclipsed, the complex tale.
But "restraint" is not the right word for Carrey's performance. Perhaps "psychoneurotic," "criminally mad" or "deliriously unhinged" serve as better descriptors. In any case, Carrey has reinvented the Count as far more colorful, more menacingly splendiferous than he appears in book form. This happens to be a good thing, as the Count Olaf of Lemony Snicket (a.k.a. Dan Handler) tends to be a simply a poor actor infected with evil. Here, Carrey doesn't de-claw the villain in the service of humor--he simply flashes a few teeth, which are also quick sharp.
Again, dear reader, "Lemony Snicket's" silly genius doesn't spring from a single performance. Its visually arresting screen presence engages the significant talents of production designer Rick Heinrichs, previously employed by Tim Burton on "Sleepy Hollow" and "Planet of the Apes." Heinrichs' all-encompassing ocular candy can swallow an audience whole, thereby increasing the movie's verisimilitude--a word here meaning "fake reality."
The final part of "Snicket's" enchantment lies in its solutions to contradictions--like how to imbue murder, larceny and the general discomfort of its heroes into what essentially advertises itself as entertainment for tykes. On that issue, much of "Lemony Snicket's" mayhem takes place off camera. Other times, Jude Law (playing fictional narrator Snicket) interrupts the action just as something particularly nasty happens.
Even if--in the end--"Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events" abandons its dark cloud for a silver lining, it's still exceptionally clever, hilariously gloomy and bitingly subversive. You have been warned.
"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" Directed by Brad Silberling; screenplay by Robert Gordon, based on the books by Daniel Handler; photographed by Emmanuel Lubezki; production design by Rick Heinrichs; music by Thomas Newman; edited by Dylan Tichenor; produced by Laurie MacDonald and Walter F. Parkes. A Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Distribution release; opens Friday. Running time: 1:47. MPAA rating: Rated PG for thematic elements, scary situations and brief language.
This website was created by Corinne Proctor Decemeber 2004