First this week, a word about cinema etiquette. Our enjoyment of the 15th anniversary 3D screening of Coraline this week was lessened by a group of goons sitting behind us. They spent most of the movie talking, kicking our seats, and rustling their bags of sweets as loudly as humanly possible. Ridiculous.
Anyway, onto the film, and what a superb stop-motion delight! I missed it first time round, when it made more than double its budget at the box office. A lovely fact...the crew spent 800 hours painting 250,000 pieces of popcorn to make them look like cherry blossoms for the trees on set. When you consider it takes about a week to produce 90-100 seconds of the movie, you realise it was a real detailed labour of love.
Coraline is voiced by Dakota Fanning, and whilst exploring her new home & looking for adventures in her slightly humdrum life, she discovers a secret door that leads her down a trippy, spinning tunnel and into another world, where she has an alternative set of parents and friends. It all seems too good to be true, but sadly she misses the warning signs due to the nice food and other bribes.. After a couple of visits go off without a hitch, things take a turn for the worse, and her fake mum (voiced by Teri Hatcher) is determined that she'll never get back to her old life..
My 8 year old nephew really enjoyed the 3D experience. Mine was a little tarnished by the inconsiderate nincompoops in the row behind us, but aside from that, this was a great watch. Just the right level of peril, and beautiful stop-motion animation that pops with colour and detail on the big screen. The cat's rather ace too. It's on Prime Video if you missed it at the cinema.
Also this week, I adored It Ends With Us. Blake Lively is Lily Bloom, who has overcome a traumatic childhood to fulfill her dream of opening a flower shop. This is a romantic thriller that really works, and deftly deals with often very difficult subject matter. Some were weeping by the end of the screening I attended, and I thought Lively was fantastic in the central role, although some fans of the Coleen Hoover book were apparently not happy about her casting. It's a world away from Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher!
One criticism I do share with a friend who's also watched the film...when the character Atlas resurfaces running a fancy restaurant in Boston years later (the film spans two different timelines), it reminded me of the time when Home and Away replaced the actress who played Pippa with someone who looked absolutely nothing like her. It was a bit bewildering, but new Atlas was good once you got used to him. Other than that minor gripe, it's a must watch in my book. Good characters, and a gripping story well told. Bonus points for using Britney Spears' underrated Everytime in the soundtrack too,
Alex Cann Film Column - 17th April 2025
