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Lemony Snicket’s is titled a series of unfortunate events and that description fits the movie itself, writes Ervell E. Menezes
LEMONY Snicket is a narrator and in this case he narrates the story of Baudelaire orphans who are being deprived of their inheritance by a wicked old man. Lemony Snicket’s a Series of Unfortunate Events is the rather long drawn out title of the film based on a book series by Daniel Handler. There are eight books and this film is based on the first three. You’ve guessed right. There will be sequels. "I am your beloved Count Olaf’ says Jim Carrey who is playing the Count. There are other disguises too, as a ship’s captain but his mannerisms give him away. Actually the opening lines are quit novel. They say if this isn’t your kind of film, leave now, or words to that effect. Heed it. Violet (Emily Browning), Klaus (Liam Aiken) and Sunny Baudelaire (Kara and Shelby Hoffman) are the pint-sized trio who become orphans after their parents perish in a fire. So they have to be looking for a benefactor. Count Olaf’s tender is probably the highest on the list because he’s the archtypical villain, even if he talks about "the long shadow that has been cast by his accomplishments." Oozing charm on the outside but scheming torture on the inside, the Count plans all kinds of hazards/misfortunes for the kids, from being left stranded at a level-crossing before a speeding train to being perched precariously on a cliff. He has the children in a tizzy. Red never-ending nightmare. But there are also a few god guys like Mr Poe (Timothy Spall) and Uncle Monty (Billy Connolly) and a doddering, nervous Aunt Josephine (Meryl Streep). So the three children (Violet is cute, Klaus an avid reader and Sunny with the asides) go in an out of trouble with old fashioned adventure aided by an overdose of special effects. Lurking somewhere in this big cast (Jude Law’s voice is that of the narrator) is Dustin Hoffman. But not all these selling points are good enough. It doesn’t take more than 10 short minutes to realise that the film is a no-no. Director Brad Silberling tries to do the balancing act but the odds are so heavily loaded against him that the film flounders well before the halfway mark, as it falls between two stools. Trite for an adult and cumbersome for a kid. It is sad that yesteryear queen Meryl Streep has to opt for such a pathetic part. As for Jim Carrey he does his thing and is somewhat tolerable in disguise. May be with so much exposure in his previous films he has to resort to disguise. Emily Browning and Liam Aiken are both fairly cute but Sunny soon becomes a bore. As for the others their presence is merely academic though Timothy Spall is impressive as Mr Poe in the old-fashioned way. But thanks, no thanks, Limony
Snicket’s a Series of Unfortunate Events is itself a most
unfortunate event. Avoidable. |
