2008 Woodie Awards
Director's latest flick delivers the magic
By Nick Gligor
Issue date: 10/7/05 Section: Entertainment
If there's one thing Tim Burton can do better than anyone else in Hollywood today, it's tell a good fairy tale. He's displayed his fancy for the whimsical in the past with tales like Edward Scissorhands, Big Fish and his original stop-motion animation masterpiece, The Nightmare Before Christmas. So after releasing the successful Charlie and The Chocolate Factory earlier this summer, Burton decided to follow up with a movie similar to Nightmare in style, the macabre love story Corpse Bride.
The story follows Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp), the son of rich fish market merchants, who is set to wed Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson), the daughter of a broke aristocratic family. Instantly upon meeting each other, Victor and Victoria realize it's love at first sight. But just as everything is about to go according to plan, Victor can't remember his vows. In fact, he's so nervous that he can't recite them at all. After feeling as though he's let everyone down, he runs off into a graveyard deep within the forest.
Alone amongst tombstones and able to collect himself, he recites his vows out loud and places the ring of his bride-to-be on what he thinks is a twig protruding from the ground. What he doesn't know is it's actually the decomposing finger of a former bride-to-be who was killed on the eve of her own wedding. Through this misunderstanding, Victor accidentally weds dead Emily, the Corpse Bride (Helena Bonham Carter). He is quickly swept into the Netherworld by Emily where he is overwhelmed by the greetings of her dead friends. While everyone above ground is searching for Victor, Victoria's parents arrange her to wed a replacement, the evil Lord Barkis Bittern (Richard E. Grant).
The voice cast for Corpse Bride is outstanding. Johnny Depp (marking his fifth time working with Burton) shows great restraint and focus as the quiet Victor. Watson is as delicate and innocent as can be in her performance, and Bonham Carter evokes genuine sympathy out of viewers with her touching story of betrayal and misfortune. The rest of the supporting cast is equally good and includes memorable performances by Burton players Albert Finney, Tracey Ullman, Christopher Lee and Michael Gough.
Naturally, Burton's favorite composer Danny Elfman assumes musical duties, as well as voicing the character of Bonejangles. Granted, some of the film's orchestral score tends to sound like recycled works of his past pasted together, but he makes up for this with some remarkable piano pieces that are beautiful and, at times, hauntingly sad.
Burton certainly hasn't lost his touch though. In Corpse Bride he does what he does best: creates an imaginary world so multi-layered and so believable, that at the moment the film begins, you're already fully submerged into his reality. He creates a world comparable to that of Dickens or Poe, stressing his love for gothic settings and the macabre. Corpse Bride is a beautiful and magical tale filled with magic, and guarantees a good time for all.
The story follows Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp), the son of rich fish market merchants, who is set to wed Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson), the daughter of a broke aristocratic family. Instantly upon meeting each other, Victor and Victoria realize it's love at first sight. But just as everything is about to go according to plan, Victor can't remember his vows. In fact, he's so nervous that he can't recite them at all. After feeling as though he's let everyone down, he runs off into a graveyard deep within the forest.
Alone amongst tombstones and able to collect himself, he recites his vows out loud and places the ring of his bride-to-be on what he thinks is a twig protruding from the ground. What he doesn't know is it's actually the decomposing finger of a former bride-to-be who was killed on the eve of her own wedding. Through this misunderstanding, Victor accidentally weds dead Emily, the Corpse Bride (Helena Bonham Carter). He is quickly swept into the Netherworld by Emily where he is overwhelmed by the greetings of her dead friends. While everyone above ground is searching for Victor, Victoria's parents arrange her to wed a replacement, the evil Lord Barkis Bittern (Richard E. Grant).
The voice cast for Corpse Bride is outstanding. Johnny Depp (marking his fifth time working with Burton) shows great restraint and focus as the quiet Victor. Watson is as delicate and innocent as can be in her performance, and Bonham Carter evokes genuine sympathy out of viewers with her touching story of betrayal and misfortune. The rest of the supporting cast is equally good and includes memorable performances by Burton players Albert Finney, Tracey Ullman, Christopher Lee and Michael Gough.
Naturally, Burton's favorite composer Danny Elfman assumes musical duties, as well as voicing the character of Bonejangles. Granted, some of the film's orchestral score tends to sound like recycled works of his past pasted together, but he makes up for this with some remarkable piano pieces that are beautiful and, at times, hauntingly sad.
Burton certainly hasn't lost his touch though. In Corpse Bride he does what he does best: creates an imaginary world so multi-layered and so believable, that at the moment the film begins, you're already fully submerged into his reality. He creates a world comparable to that of Dickens or Poe, stressing his love for gothic settings and the macabre. Corpse Bride is a beautiful and magical tale filled with magic, and guarantees a good time for all.
