Let us tell an old story anew.
Maleficent joins the ranks of films I have liked so much that I have seen them Three or more times on the big screen. These films are ones that I take friends to as a gift. In recent years the list includes: Avatar, The Lone Ranger, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Nebraska.
Why Maleficent?
"Maleficent" explores the untold story of Disney's most iconic villain from the classic "Sleeping Beauty" and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king's newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever. (c) Walt Disney Pictures (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/...)
Why I recommend it so highly-
It looks wonderful. This fairytale world is stunningly photographed by another Australian veteran Dean Semler, and the sets, costumes and design in general are of the first rank. BUT, those special effects exist ONLY to serve a truly wonderful and inventive narrative.
The film has its roots in "The Sleeping Beauty" (French: La Belle au bois dormant "The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood") by Charles Perrault or "Little Briar Rose" (German: Dornröschen) by the Brothers Grimm classic fairytales involving a beautiful princess cursed by a wicked witch angry at a slight, a death-like enchantment of sleep, and a handsome prince whose kiss awakens her (his having fallen head-over-heels for her at first glance.)
This time, though, the emphasis is on the wicked witch character rather than on the young beauty who becomes the victim of a terrible curse, and Angelina Jolie plays this character as a victim herself, betrayed and mutilated by her lover whose act of vengeance is understandable (if still horrible) and whose slow road back to the light is marvelously touching.
Angelina Jolie is magnificent as Maleficent, a powerful, brooding character with deeply conflicted emotions who so wants to hate Aurora who she calls "Beastie.". The "witch's" constant companion is a raven, who she saves from human cruelty (an underlying theme in the story) who sometimes becomes a man, and other creatures, as Maleficent's needs. Sam Riley plays the role with complexity and subtlety shaping a character acts as Maleficient's conscience, a friend and protector of the soon-to-be sleeping beauty Princess Aurora and as a watchman over Maleficent's enemies.
The films is surprising almost from the first and continues to lead us down false trails throughout- sidetrips that the three audiences I shared this film with seemed to very much enjoy.
I hope you will too.
P.S. Why see a film three times in a theater when it will be on Satellite, at Netflix or available from Amazon in not-so-long a time?
Well....I love the big screen. I love the big sound. I love the big crowd and their reactions. AND I love having a big dinner afterwards with friends as do our table-critique and review. By the way, I do a numerical review.
On a scale of 1 to 5.
The Overall Experience of the Film: 4.5
The Film Within Its Genre: 5.0