For my Six Degrees of Separation, I begin with Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead...
1. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead featured Gary Oldman.
2. Oldman appeared in Planet 51 with John Cleese.
3. Cleese is the narrator for Winnie the Pooh.
Title: Winnie the Pooh
Directors: Stephen J. Anderson and Don Hall
Original Release: 2011
My Overall Rating: 3 stars out of 5
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| via Wikipedia |
I liked Pooh well enough as a young child but I didn't fall in love with the books until my early teens. I needed a bit of maturity to understand the point of it all. A.A. Milne's stories of the Hundred Acre Wood run a little deeper than merely cute or sweet. Openness of mind and tenderness of heart are qualities we work hard to engender in the young. But such qualities, once embraced, can leave one vulnerable in a cruel world, ultimately leading to mistrust and pessimism. Pooh and his friends assure us that a return to a simpler view can remind us of what's important. Confusion and misunderstanding are to be expected in life. Learn from your mistakes, take care of your friends, hold hands when you're afraid and linger on your goodbyes.
So yes, my expectations for a film interpretation are high. Mood is everything. The Wood is a quiet place as I read it - apart from Tigger, of course. There is considerable and, to a point, understandable pressure on a 21st century filmmaker to make a children's story from the 1920s more accessible. Too often for my tastes, that means amping up the energy. The pace of the 2011 film is a little too vigorous for me.
But love for the books is apparent, not only for Milne's text but also for E.H. Shepard's equally charming illustrations. The movie is built around three stories taken directly from the originals. Pooh and his companions traipse clumsily through the book pages. Animation is lovely, including a Backson sequence reminiscent of the classic "Pink Elephants" from Dumbo. I'm not sure any film could live up to the books for me but I appreciate the genuine effort made here.
Trivia challenge again for August! Pick your own movie to share. Post three clues on Friday, August 7th. Post your reveal and review on Friday, August 14th. Meanwhile, please visit my friends today:
I was not expecting you to review this. What a lovely surprize and clever 6 degrees.
ReplyDeleteI figured you give his a three. As you state, you're a fan of the books. It's true that the pace of this film is a bit fast- something I hadn't considered. For me though, watching this movie brought back so much of the goodness of my childhood, that it was hard for me not to love it. That isn't to say that eveyone else will. Plus, I'm still impressed with the fact that it's traditional animation. I think that bumped it up for me.
Looking forward to clues next month.
We're watching the 1977 film tonight. I'll be interested to see how it compares.
DeleteI've only seen snippets of Pooh. I'm not very familiar with the film or books, although I've been meaning to read or watch. It looks like a very cute story.
ReplyDeleteStart with the books.
DeleteI haven't seen this one, yet.
ReplyDeleteWhen my oldest was about three, he watched Pooh all the time. ALL THE TIME! I did get sick of him for a while.
I've never read the books.
The books are way better than any film or TV renditions.
DeleteWait, Cleese is the narrator? That much more reason for me to get around to it.
ReplyDeleteThe voice talent overall is excellent.
DeleteOK I goofed. I thought we did the 6 degrees and next week give the review. Oops. Love the connection especially since I did not know Oldman acted with Cleese.
ReplyDeleteNo problem. It's my own fault. I dropped the ball in terms of communicating for this one.
DeleteMy children loved Pooh. I read it once for my 3rd graders, they were confused. Mostly Hispanic, it was hard to relate to the England culture.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite character was always Rabbit. I identified with his frustration.
Aha, you're Rabbit - industrious! As much as I would like to pretend that I'm Pooh, I know I'm Piglet. I fall into the sidekick role very easily.
DeleteI love Winnie the Pooh. My mother raised me on those books. I even had a cat named Tigger :)
ReplyDeleteWhen my daughter was younger, we had a few of the stuffed animals - the ones based on the book illustrations rather than the movies. I loved those.
DeleteOh, shoot! I've been out all day and I forgot to post my "six degrees." If you can, excuse your empty headed friend. I'll do better next time.
ReplyDeleteNo problem. I've gotten lax in terms of my own communication in terms of reminding people and such. I'll do better next time, too.
DeleteI've never read the books but the movie is lovely and has a classic feel. Great review and hope you have an amaze-balls night man.
ReplyDeleteYou, too, Maurice!
DeleteWe just watched the 1977 movie last night. I now realize that the newer film is as much an homage to the older movie as it is to the books.
I like that you gave this modern take a chance, I have so little patience for remakes of childhood classics! Don't even talk to me about Ghostbusters. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm with you on Ghostbusters.
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