2DaveWixon
Shocked and Appalled!
BFG: I'm rather surprised that no one has yet mentioned this one; it certainly has fantastic elements that I would have thought would draw the interest of Chrons people...well, I get to be first (and maybe only, since it seem to be leaving the theaters already...).
The title stands for "Big Friendly Giant," and the film comes from a Raold Dahl book (which I have never read). The basic premise is that there is a group of about ten giants who live somewhere north of the British Isles (all seem to be male, and apparently they don't need females because they just have always been there...).
Nine of the giants seem like a gang from the worst of British slums, with the additional vice of preferring to eat people... The tenth, the title character, is a good deal smaller than his compatriots and is treated by them with some contempt -- not least because in his uneducated fashion, he seems to be of an intellectual bent that includes such activities as roaming about in the night and catching, and bottling, the dreams of humans. He's a vegetarian who seems to mostly eat the most ghastly-looking cucumbers...!
While out collecting late one night, BFG is accidentally seen by Sophie, an orphan who is desperately lonely and unhappy in an orphanage only slightly better than those of Dickens -- so he kidnaps her and takes her back to his cave; where, in a short while, they become friends, almost family.
BFG is played by Mark Rylance, who did such a splendid job as Rudolph Abel in Bridge of Spies. He was a perfect choice for the role, and his wide-eyed, innocent face, even after being subjected to the special effects needed to create his appearance, creates a high level of appeal and sympathy.
In the back story, it appears that BFG once before had a human friend, only to have him caught and eaten by the other giants; and he now lives in fear that they will catch Sophie, too. But after various events, the other giants go out into Britain in a renewed campaign to catch and eat humans; and Sophie has to convince BFG to go with her to see the Queen and warn her of the danger.
Well, it works -- and I won't go into more detail than that.
Be aware: it's basically a movie for kids (complete to most impressive displays of flatulence) -- but it's fun, and it's engaging (at least, it was so for me).
The title stands for "Big Friendly Giant," and the film comes from a Raold Dahl book (which I have never read). The basic premise is that there is a group of about ten giants who live somewhere north of the British Isles (all seem to be male, and apparently they don't need females because they just have always been there...).
Nine of the giants seem like a gang from the worst of British slums, with the additional vice of preferring to eat people... The tenth, the title character, is a good deal smaller than his compatriots and is treated by them with some contempt -- not least because in his uneducated fashion, he seems to be of an intellectual bent that includes such activities as roaming about in the night and catching, and bottling, the dreams of humans. He's a vegetarian who seems to mostly eat the most ghastly-looking cucumbers...!
While out collecting late one night, BFG is accidentally seen by Sophie, an orphan who is desperately lonely and unhappy in an orphanage only slightly better than those of Dickens -- so he kidnaps her and takes her back to his cave; where, in a short while, they become friends, almost family.
BFG is played by Mark Rylance, who did such a splendid job as Rudolph Abel in Bridge of Spies. He was a perfect choice for the role, and his wide-eyed, innocent face, even after being subjected to the special effects needed to create his appearance, creates a high level of appeal and sympathy.
In the back story, it appears that BFG once before had a human friend, only to have him caught and eaten by the other giants; and he now lives in fear that they will catch Sophie, too. But after various events, the other giants go out into Britain in a renewed campaign to catch and eat humans; and Sophie has to convince BFG to go with her to see the Queen and warn her of the danger.
Well, it works -- and I won't go into more detail than that.
Be aware: it's basically a movie for kids (complete to most impressive displays of flatulence) -- but it's fun, and it's engaging (at least, it was so for me).
