I
don’t like to read reviews of films I intend to see or review, but my
internet browsing is such that I can’t help but catch some of the
headlines. How Disney & Pixar’s Brave received anything less than rave reviews is beyond me. I enjoyed Brave
more than most films lately, and certainly more than the other
family/animated films I’ve seen in the last few years though I admit I
have yet to catch Up (pun intended!) and Toy Story 3. Still, I think it’s safe to say that Brave is a different animal.
For the last twenty years, Disney has tried to give young girls a diverse range of Princesses - new role models, or at the very least strong female leads, whose success isn’t founded in being pretty (I’m looking at you, classic Disney: Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella). First there was Jasmine (sort of Indian!), Belle (an intellectual!) Pocahontas (Native American!), and then Mulan (wants equal rights! And is Chinese!). Then they attempted to give us Tiana (the first African-American princess! Who wasn’t really a princess at all...) in The Princess and the Frog, which turned out to be something of a disappointment. Most recently, there was Tangled, where even a return to blonde-haired, blue-eyed traditionalism mixed with modern feistiness couldn’t hide weak storytelling and lame songs.
Brave lives up to its name by breaking all the rules. Merida is Scottish and speaks with an accent (wasn’t Belle supposed to be French?). She’s also a fiery redhead (the second, after Ariel) who not only rides horses but has become a skilled archer without having to masquerade as a man. She’s fiercely independent, excited by adventure in ways Belle only ever sang about. And while Tangled marketed Rapunzel’s hair as its own character (it was not), Merida’s incredible curls are far more impressive. Merida also represents a minority in fairytale land - she has both of her parents, both of whom love her dearly. In fact the relationship between Merida and her mother, Queen Elinor, is at the heart of the film. Not that you’d know it from the trailer.
Merida can’t bear the thought of marriage, so she rebels when her parents ask her to choose from one of three rather unsuitable suitors. Deep in the woods Merida follows a path lit by willo-the-wisps, magical fairy-like creatures; the path leads her to a hidden hillside cottage where a reluctant witch spends her days carving bear-themed - everything. Merida bargains for a spell that will help her change her fate... but at what cost? The film’s tagline may be “change your fate,” but only to avoid the clichéd, “be careful what you wish for.”
I don’t want to give away the story - and based on the trailer, clearly neither did Disney - but if you’re not even a little intrigued by the trailer, you might miss out. Brave is moving and different, it gives us castles and archery, gowns and kings and queens and princesses, fiery redheads and friendly horses; but it also pays homage to some of the classic Disney things that were always successful - princesses, witches, magic, mischief, forests, and animals that are less like animals and more like people. Brave also manages to offend fewer feminists, as the resolution does not require Merida to fall in love or to get married. I’m nearly thirty and, perhaps especially for this reason, it’s beyond refreshing - it’s novel, to finally have a princess whose ambition is not once, not ever, tempered by a need for marriage or romantic love. Now if I could only figure out why I associate Merida with Taylor Swift... (I think it’s the curls.)
If you do see Brave, and I hope that you do, there’s an added bonus. As with most Disney/Pixar films, there is an animated short before the feature presentation. Ahead of Brave is La Luna, Oscar nominated in 2012 and an absolutely exquisite little story about a young boy with a special destiny of his own to discover. Reminiscent of classic children’s picture books with more unexpected turns of events than most full length films, it’s a perfect way to set the tone for the fantastic adventure that follows.
Bonus trivia:
- Brave is scored by Scottish composer Patrick Doyle. I know Doyle's work best from his collaborations with Kenneth Branagh - like Much Ado About Nothing. Emma Thompson played Beatrice in Much Ado, and voices Queen Elinor in Brave.
- La Luna is scored by Michael Giacchino, frequent collaborator of J.J. Abrams and composer for the film Up.
- Listen carefully to Lord Dingwall: that's Hagrid (Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane). And Lord Macintosh? Craig Ferguson (also Scottish).
- Reese Witherspoon was originally set to voice Merida. She's said to have had to back out because of scheduling conflicts... but my personal suspicion is that her accent wouldn't have fit. She was replaced with Kelly Macdonald (actually Scottish).
- Nominated for Academy Award: Best Animated Feature Film
For the last twenty years, Disney has tried to give young girls a diverse range of Princesses - new role models, or at the very least strong female leads, whose success isn’t founded in being pretty (I’m looking at you, classic Disney: Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella). First there was Jasmine (sort of Indian!), Belle (an intellectual!) Pocahontas (Native American!), and then Mulan (wants equal rights! And is Chinese!). Then they attempted to give us Tiana (the first African-American princess! Who wasn’t really a princess at all...) in The Princess and the Frog, which turned out to be something of a disappointment. Most recently, there was Tangled, where even a return to blonde-haired, blue-eyed traditionalism mixed with modern feistiness couldn’t hide weak storytelling and lame songs.
Brave lives up to its name by breaking all the rules. Merida is Scottish and speaks with an accent (wasn’t Belle supposed to be French?). She’s also a fiery redhead (the second, after Ariel) who not only rides horses but has become a skilled archer without having to masquerade as a man. She’s fiercely independent, excited by adventure in ways Belle only ever sang about. And while Tangled marketed Rapunzel’s hair as its own character (it was not), Merida’s incredible curls are far more impressive. Merida also represents a minority in fairytale land - she has both of her parents, both of whom love her dearly. In fact the relationship between Merida and her mother, Queen Elinor, is at the heart of the film. Not that you’d know it from the trailer.
Merida can’t bear the thought of marriage, so she rebels when her parents ask her to choose from one of three rather unsuitable suitors. Deep in the woods Merida follows a path lit by willo-the-wisps, magical fairy-like creatures; the path leads her to a hidden hillside cottage where a reluctant witch spends her days carving bear-themed - everything. Merida bargains for a spell that will help her change her fate... but at what cost? The film’s tagline may be “change your fate,” but only to avoid the clichéd, “be careful what you wish for.”
I don’t want to give away the story - and based on the trailer, clearly neither did Disney - but if you’re not even a little intrigued by the trailer, you might miss out. Brave is moving and different, it gives us castles and archery, gowns and kings and queens and princesses, fiery redheads and friendly horses; but it also pays homage to some of the classic Disney things that were always successful - princesses, witches, magic, mischief, forests, and animals that are less like animals and more like people. Brave also manages to offend fewer feminists, as the resolution does not require Merida to fall in love or to get married. I’m nearly thirty and, perhaps especially for this reason, it’s beyond refreshing - it’s novel, to finally have a princess whose ambition is not once, not ever, tempered by a need for marriage or romantic love. Now if I could only figure out why I associate Merida with Taylor Swift... (I think it’s the curls.)
If you do see Brave, and I hope that you do, there’s an added bonus. As with most Disney/Pixar films, there is an animated short before the feature presentation. Ahead of Brave is La Luna, Oscar nominated in 2012 and an absolutely exquisite little story about a young boy with a special destiny of his own to discover. Reminiscent of classic children’s picture books with more unexpected turns of events than most full length films, it’s a perfect way to set the tone for the fantastic adventure that follows.
Bonus trivia:
- Brave is scored by Scottish composer Patrick Doyle. I know Doyle's work best from his collaborations with Kenneth Branagh - like Much Ado About Nothing. Emma Thompson played Beatrice in Much Ado, and voices Queen Elinor in Brave.
- La Luna is scored by Michael Giacchino, frequent collaborator of J.J. Abrams and composer for the film Up.
- Listen carefully to Lord Dingwall: that's Hagrid (Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane). And Lord Macintosh? Craig Ferguson (also Scottish).
- Reese Witherspoon was originally set to voice Merida. She's said to have had to back out because of scheduling conflicts... but my personal suspicion is that her accent wouldn't have fit. She was replaced with Kelly Macdonald (actually Scottish).
- Nominated for Academy Award: Best Animated Feature Film
Yep, I am SO going to see this. When I saw the trailer I was excited to hear Kelly Macdonald voice Merida. She's amazing in Boardwalk Empire!
ReplyDeleteJust saw Brave again, on an airplane. Still a lovely, lovely film. One wonders what the behind the scenes conflict was, and what that film would have been like.
ReplyDelete