By Lindsey Bahr, AP Film Writer
The latest cinematic rendering of " Pinocchio, " from Italian director Matteo Garrone, is informed not by the friendly 1940 Walt Disney retelling, but the original source material. Carlo Collodi's 1883 novel "The Adventures of Pinocchio" is a much darker affair than the song-filled animated version and Garrone's film is also a more intense experience, even if he too has softened some of Collodi's edges. The result may not be suitable for all children, but it is a strange, visionary and enchanting old-world fairy tale that any fan of Guillermo del Toro's films or Wolfgang Petersen's "The NeverEnding Story" should give a chance.
It's unfortunate though understandable that the Italian film has been dubbed into English for its North American theatrical release, making it slightly annoying for adults but ultimately more accessible to children. The best you can do under these circumstances is to just try to ignore it because, for now, it's the only way you can experience it in the U.S.
Blending realism and fantasy, Garrone's film takes us back to an impoverished Tuscany where Roberto Benigni as Geppetto sculpts a young boy puppet out of an enchanted piece of wood and begs it to come to life. He's desperate for a son and overcome with joy when he gets what he wished for. But Pinocchio, played by Federico Ielapi, does not emerge grateful: He is restless and naughty, which is partly naivete and partly mischievousness. It's not too long before his disobedience finds him far away from home in the company of less than savory characters who he is too trusting of. And Pinocchio must embark on a dangerous and epic odyssey to try to find his way back to Geppetto and safety.
This Pinocchio is perhaps one of the more realistic depictions of what a wooden puppet that's come to life might look like. His look is almost identical to Enrico Mazzanti's original drawings and translated to this live-action film through a combination of computer graphics and makeup from Mark Coulier, the Oscar-winning makeup artist behind "The Grand Budapest Hotel." It is a remarkable achievement in special effects.
The production design is equally noteworthy, from Geppetto's workshop to the stunning home of the blue-haired fairy who watches over Pinocchio. Although the naturally beautiful Italian landscapes threaten to upstage a lot of the work. Benigni is also particularly strong in the film, although his screen time is brief and just at the beginning and end.
"Pinocchio" was never my favorite as a child and I'm probably not alone but there is an obvious continuing appeal to the story and its lessons. And although the world was not lacking for "Pinocchio" adaptations, there are still many more to come. Soon we'll have a Robert Zemeckis version with Tom Hanks on Disney+ and a Guillermo del Toro stop-motion animated one on Netflix with Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett. Before we're overwhelmed by such starry fare and accessible fare, however, you might also make time for this one too. It has the makings of a stealth classic.
"Pinocchio," a Roadside Attractions release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for "some disturbing images." Running time: 125 minutes. Three stars out of four.
After 20 Years of Acting, Megan Park Finds Her Groove In The Director’s Chair On “My Old Ass”
Megan Park feels a little bad that her movie is making so many people cry. It's not just a single tear either — more like full body sobs.
She didn't set out to make a tearjerker with "My Old Ass," now streaming on Prime Video. She just wanted to tell a story about a young woman in conversation with her older self. The film is quite funny (the dialogue between 18-year-old and almost 40-year-old Elliott happens because of a mushroom trip that includes a Justin Bieber cover), but it packs an emotional punch, too.
Writing, Park said, is often her way of working through things. When she put pen to paper on "My Old Ass," she was a new mom and staying in her childhood bedroom during the pandemic. One night, she and her whole nuclear family slept under the same roof. She didn't know it then, but it would be the last time, and she started wondering what it would be like to have known that.
In the film, older Elliott ( Aubrey Plaza ) advises younger Elliott ( Maisy Stella ) to not be so eager to leave her provincial town, her younger brothers and her parents and to slow down and appreciate things as they are. She also tells her to stay away from a guy named Chad who she meets the next day and discovers that, unfortunately, he's quite cute.
At 38, Park is just getting started as a filmmaker. Her first, "The Fallout," in which Jenna Ortega plays a teen in the aftermath of a school shooting, had one of those pandemic releases that didn't even feel real. But it did get the attention of Margot Robbie 's production company LuckyChap Entertainment, who reached out to Park to see what other ideas she had brewing.
"They were very instrumental in encouraging me to go with it," Park said. "They're just really even-keeled, good people, which makes... Read More