HELLO OSCAR NOMS!

       Oscar nominations will be announced in less than 2 days. Yaay! I still haven't seen 3 films that I think can score big here- Shame, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and My Week with Marilyn. Still, the following are my wish-lists/predictions for the Big 5 and the Supporting categories.


Best Film- Trickiest category because no one knows how many there will be.


Mine:  1) The Artist
2) Midnight in Paris
3) Hugo
4) Drive
5) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
6) The Tree of Life
7) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
8) A Separation


Theirs: Them heartless voters will kick poor Harry out, and have The Descendants in its place. Then probably Moneyball in place of Drive, The Help in place of The Tree of Life and maybe Bridesmaids in place of Dragon Tattoo. A Separation won't be nominated here.


Winner: It has become a The Artist vs The Descendants race, but the best part of this award season is still how relatively flexible it is. Between those two, The Artist has my vote. Otherwise I think A Separation is the most flawless film I've seen all year, and Drive is insanely cool.




Best Director- Oh happy happy year. Something old and something new, and everything is just amazing.


Mine: 1)Martin Scorsese, Hugo
2) Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive
3) Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
4) Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
5) Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life


Theirs: Either Refn or Malick will be replaced by Alexander Payne for The Descendants. David Fincher is being showered with love for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, so who knows what that will bring. Steven Spielberg is being considered for War Horse, though personally I would prefer if he were nominated for Tintin.


Winner: Scorsese or Refn, in my eyes. But my gut says Hazanavicius.




Best Actress- This was difficult, and also I haven't seen 3 of the performances that will probably make the cut.


Mine: 1) Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
2) Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia
3) Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
4) Viola Davis, The Help
5) Charlize Theron, Young Adult


Theirs: Olsen isn't getting any love, most unfortunately. We can all count Meryl Streep in, for her role in The Iron Lady. Theron will also be substituted by Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn. Glenn Close will replace poor Kiki for that awful Albert Nobbs and Tilda, the Goddess, may find herself kicked out in favour of Rooney Mara, for Dragon Tattoo.


Winner- Among the ones I have seen, I think Tilda Swinton was just incredible. But it may become a Meryl vs Viola thing this year, and I can't help but be pro-Meryl, because she IS Meryl "Fuckin" Streep!




Best Actor- Ooh. What a year. Beauties, all of them.


Mine: 1) Ryan Gosling, Drive
2) Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
3) Jean Dujardin, The Artist
4) Ewan McGregor, Beginners
5) George Clooney, The Descendants


Special wish: Daniel Radcliffe- because they had a FYC for him and this was his best performance as Harry Potter ever, and because he IS Harry Potter.


Theirs: They will never nominate McGregor because they are all bastards and do not appreciate that man. Gosling won't get nominated either and if that does happen, it will be for his performance in The Ides of March, who we all know was someone the Driver could kill in a lift at any point of time. Brad Pitt will be nominated for Moneyball. Michael Fassbender might be nominated for Shame though it still might be too racy a role for them. Michael Shannon for Take Shelter (haven't seen that one either). Also maybe Leo for J.Edgar because they love him so.


Winner- Oldman is just so very very good. It's about time Academy recognises this. But it maybe a Ocean's/two-time Sexiest Men Alive face-off with Brad and George fighting for the top prize. Or everyone could have been completely charmed by Dujardin and give him the award.




Best Supporting Actress- This was the category I was least passionate about for some reason.


Mine: 1) Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
2) Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
3) Octavia Spencer, The Help
4) Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
5) Jessica Chastain, The Help/The Tree of Life


Theirs: I have a feeling this might be it. Chastain was apparently the best in Take Shelter so I don't know, but this WAS her year. Carey Mulligan may be nominated for Shame or Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs.


Winner: I was really impressed with Woodley and McCarthy (yaay Gilmore Girls!). But Spencer is in the lead, and she was good enough.




Best Supporting Actor- I am proud of this one.


Mine: 1) Alan Rickman, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2 as Professor Severus Snape (I HAD to do that)
2) Albert Brooks, Drive
3) Christopher Plummer, Beginners
4) Hunter McCracken/Brad Pitt, The Tree of Life
5) Ezra Miller, We Need to Talk About Kevin


Theirs- Those bitches will never reward Rickman either. But I shall love him, always. Pitt will get nominated in the Actor category, but he was just better in this role. Jonah Hill was very good in Moneyball. Kenneth Branagh will be nominated for My Week with Marilyn. There is also chances for Viggo Mortensen for A Dangerous Method and all the people from The Ides of March. Whatever- my list rules all.


Winner- Plummer is the front-runner, though I still think Brooks was better. They're it really.




Best Original Screenplay- This is a good year for this category.


Mine: 1) Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
2) Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
3) Asghar Farhadi, A Separation
4) Mike Mills, Beginners
5) Diablo Cody, Young Adult


Theirs: I don't think Farhadi will get nominated. There are films like Bridesmaids, 50-50, Take Shelter, Shame and maybe even The Iron Lady (it's the power of the Streep) who can take the place.


Winner- Woody. I shall hear no more of this.




Best Adapted Screenplay- Honest question: how does someone decide this without having read the source material?


Mine: 1) Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
2) John Logan, Hugo
3) Moira Buffini, Jane Eyre
4) Yasmina Reza and Roman Polanski, Carnage
5) Steven Zaillian, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo


Theirs: The Help and The Descendants is a lock. Maybe even Moneyball. From my list, I think only Hugo and maybe Dragon Tattoo will make it through.


Winner: TTSS really impressed me, but they love The Descendants.




My winners are sort of preliminary, but I don't think my final decisions will be all that different.
And now we wait...

"Always." ~Severus Snape

"When I’m 80 years old and sitting in my rocking chair, I’ll be reading Harry Potter. And my family will say to me, “After all this time?” And I will say, “Always."
-Alan Rickman

         I repeatedly talk about my love and devotion towards anti-heroes. I also talk about my love and devotion towards Harry Potter films. Severus Snape was the anti-hero of the Harry Potter world...so you can imagine.


         From the first film itself, I was doubtful of Snape. I don't exactly remember if I had ever seen an Alan Rickman film before Sorcerer's Stone so he did look, and sound, rather interesting. A bit scary even. I felt, quite like Harry and the gang, that he was "upto something". But then we find out that he was protecting Harry all along, and this roused my suspicion. But I quickly dispersed that thought, and Snape just proved to be a hard, punishing, mocking teacher over the next few films. Obviously watching back, one can notice all the little hints that have been left for everyone to see. One of the funniest things about Snape for me was the music that they played for him...and his drone-y voice that accompanied it so well. Snape's apparent dislike for Harry and the running gag of hitting Ron on the head was both amusing and well, hate-worthy because no one likes a teacher like that.


        Then came the fifth film and Occlumency lessons with a hot-headed Harry and a James-hating Snape. It is at this time, when Harry taps into Snape's head in a burst of anger and we see how Snape was regularly ragged by James during their school days. Harry starts to get why Snape hated his father so much, and my initial intuition that Snape is really upto something returns. Now I had read the sixth book before watching the film obviously, so I knew the entire Half-Blood Prince plot. But still, Rickman never ceased to amaze. From being condescending to Bellatrix and making the Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa, to constantly trying to help Draco in his dark endeavour, he manages to maintain the level of mystery that surrounds Snape at all times. One of the things that they chose not to focus at all in the film was that he had become the professor of Harry's favourite subject- Defence Against the Dark Arts. Still, it's the last scene that counts...when Snape kills Dumbledore, and the shot of Snape's face, all pale and dark and sorrowful still, against the similar atmospheric sky. He becomes totally elusive after that...just throwing away the Aurors from his path and leaving Hogwarts, but not without a confrontation with Harry about his apparent treachery. Then again, in true windy cinematic fashion, he reveals that he is the Half-Blood Prince, leaving everyone perplexed and angry. My original suspicion thickens.


          Finally the last two films. In the first film, he is barely there- a great flaw, but his minute scene is very cool and impactful. Voldemort is shown to have complete trust in Snape now, and Snape, more dreary-voiced than ever, reveals even more secrets about the Order's plans. It is after that, when Voldemort is about to kill Charity Burbage, and she pleads to Snape to save her, that we see a nano-second of despair in his permanently stoic face. The last film ofcourse, is a whole another story. He has small scenes, but they are just brilliant. First we see him looking on at the strict fascistic running of Hogwarts under the Death Eaters, and he is again shown in dark lighting as the cloud of mystery around him thickens. Then there is him asking all the students, in the middle of the night, about the whereabouts of Harry. God, the way Rickman can extend every syllable he speaks is amazing. Then there is the Harry confrontation and the Prof McBadass duel. For those who haven't read the book, did you not wonder how in him trying to deflect her curses, he manages to hit the Carrows and knock them out? Because I thought that was especially clever of him and the filmmaker. And then, the scene of all scenes- his memory, his back story: The Prince's Tale. This is a chapter in the book that is my most favourite of all. First there is him looking at Harry right before he dies...looking into his Lily eyes. And then the memory. Yes this was a lot to do how David Yates made it look, but the final emotions of Rickman...him crying and begging and falling down at the sight of the dead Lily, and his "Always"...beautiful.


        So my final thoughts on Snape- noone but Rickman could have played him. I love Tim Roth, but I prefer him writhing in blood or standing up a diner. Rickman's stoicism, his mocking, funny, sad, dreary voice, his final redemption, and the fact that he knew Snape all along, is what helped him make the character so damn good. He is one of the best literary characters according to me, and Rickman made him one of the best film characters, at least in the series. I love unrequited love, and Snape had the epitome of that for Lily, to the point that he devoted his entire life in trying to protect her son who looked so much like a bullying classmate of his. As I said, looking back, we understand how much Harry's looks hurt him and annoy him, but despite all that he cares for him because he knows that Harry is quite a lot like the girl he loved since he was a little boy. His anger and meanness are all part of the act...his permanent veil forever hid the best of him. He was smart and talented and a great wizard throughout. Also, as Harry tells Albus Severus in the end, he is the bravest man ever, and also the most selfless, who did more for the great cause of love than almost any other character in the series.


         In short, I will love Snape, and love the love of Snape, always.

"There is no good or evil: only power and those too weak to seek it." ~ MY FAVOURITE HP VILLAINS

             I remember that quite a while back there was all this talk about how the Harry Potter stories are not about good versus evil, but of evil versus greater evil as we have always been taught that witches are bad (save Wizard of Oz maybe, but still Glinda was an idiot). I don't remember if it was completely a Christian opinion or not, but it certainly was a very interesting one. Now I personally don't think so, and neither does JK Rowling. She has said that save one character, who is beyond redemption, all the characters have both light and darkness in them, which I guess is the case with pretty much everyone in the whole world. In the Harry Potter world, since magic was in the picture, the villains get the chance to do much more.
My favourite villains are:


Honourable mentions: The Troll in HP1, the Hungarian Horntail in HP4, Lucius Malfoy

5) Madam Professor Dolores Jane Umbridge (played by Imelda Staunton)-

Okay, generally I love villains. In her case, not so much. I pretty much loathed her the most, and she's one of my least favourite villains ever. But that's only because she really is a brilliant one. I would never want to meet her- with all her pinkness and cat-fetish and sweet voice, she really was a monster in disguise. She could have been a Nazi with utmost furry comfort, and terrorised legions of people with her little laugh and those quills and medieval torture methods. Staunton breathed life and malice into this character, whose biggest trait in the book was just the toad-face.

4)  Professor Quirinus Quirrell (played by Ian Hart)-

People do not give enough credit to Quirrell in my opinion. As a kid watching this film, he was the scariest thing ever. A two-faced/headed man...creepy. And the whole transition from the stuttering idiot to a menacing parasite, it is quite effective. Hart was funny as Quirrell. Originally David Thewlis had been approached, but I think Hart did total justice to the ill-fated DADA professor.

3) Draco Malfoy (played by Tom Felton) and Severus Snape (played by Alan Rickman)-

Both who weren't quite the villains we thought they were, at the end. The first is the kid we all love to hate- privileged, smug, too much hair-product...yuk! With the superiority complex and racist qualities, he was the Trio's nemesis at the beginning. Felton was born to play Malfoy. I can never imagine him as Harry, and with good reason. He owned Malfoy- the smirks, the screaming, the bitchiness.

The second was a shady character throughout, who showed utmost dislike towards our protagonist, Mr. Potter, and became especially detestable in the 6th installment. The truth ofcourse, was quite something else. Rickman was God-like in this role...people could not get enough of his sonorous, slightly mocking voice and the hair-flips and the awesome wardrobe, and obviously the mystery behind the barely discernible character. Probably the most famous supporting character in the films ever.

2) Lord Voldemort (played by Ralph Fiennes)-

Several actors have played the Dark Lord, the only other really effective one being Fiennes's own nephew Hero Fiennes-Tiffin who played him as an 11 year old. However, none can beat my favourite baddie-playing actor, Mr. Ralph Fiennes himself. Yes there is a lot of make-up and technology involved in making him look like that- nose-less and hair-less etc, but things like his whispery voice, the way he delicately holds the wands with which he unflinchingly kills people and obviously, whenever he addresses anyone- with contempt and a slight humour- they're fantastic! Some time back, he was even awarded the best villain by some UK publication/website. He is clearly, and deservedly, going down film history as one of the best antagonists ever.

1) Bellatrix Lestrange (played by Helena Bonham Carter)-

Okay so I had to eeny-meeny-miney-mo my way to the top spot (with the second one), but I definitely do not have any regrets. Bellatrix in the books seems bland compared to her cinematic counterpart. Casting HBC as Lestrange was nothing short of a stroke of genius! She is sexy and deranged, violent but still kind of a doll. I love her total devotion towards Voldemort. She is also the only completely bad person whose death I was saddened by (whoops! spoiler!!). Though HBC never really plays a completely 'normal' person, her Bellatrix is definitely the best of the kooks (along with Marla Singer).

"I have a million ideas, but, they all point to certain death." ~Alan Rickman as Marvin, the Paranoid Android

        Oh Alan...how I love thee. So here's a guy who's made a career of playing iconic villains, or maybe just one, who in the end isn't a villain at all. With a legendary voice that can be compared to that of James Earl "Darth Vader" Jones's, Alan Rickman is a gem of an actor upon whom the unfortuantely prevalent curse of widely-respected and wildly-talented without any recognition-received has been cast.

A look back..

Hans Gruber: Who said we were terrorists?

Sheriff of Nottingham: That's it then. Cancel the kitchen scraps for lepers and orphans, no more merciful beheadings, and call off Christmas.

Harry: Oh, God. I am so in the wrong. The classic fool!

Marvin the Paranoid Android: Life? Don't talk to me about life!

Antoine Richis: Very well, but remember this... I'll be looking at you when you're laid on the cross and the twelve blows are crashing down on your limbs. When the crowd is finally tired of your screams and wandered home, I will climb up through your blood and sit beside you. I will look deep into your eyes and drop by drop I will trickle my disgust into them like burning acid until finally you perish.

Judge Turpin: You see, sir, a man infatuate with love, her ardent and eager slave. So fetch the pomade and pumice stone and lend me a more seductive tone, a sprinkling perhaps of French cologne, but first, sir, I think... a shave.

Blue Caterpillar: I can't help you if you don't even know who you are, stupid girl.

And finally...

Severus Snape: Has it ever crossed your brilliant mind that I don't want to do this anymore?

      So call this a silly girl's dream, but I really think that if EVER Harry Potter has a chance at anything acting-related in the Oscars or any proper-award show for that matter, it will be next year for Alan Rickman as Snape with "The Prince's Tale" if done properly- no other character or actor in the film has the emotional ability to pull it off and this could be the big crowning glory moment. If Gandalf then why not Snape, is my question.

      This was Part 3 of my Favourite Actors who play villains and Anti-heroes.
      Also it was Alan Rickman's 65th Birthday a few days back, so HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY PROFESSOR!!

 

She's making a list, and checking it twice- FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS FILMS!!

      Ho Ho Ho...it's that time of the year again!! While due to the many insignificant complications of my life, I haven't had a Christmas tree or anything Christmas-related this year, my favourite Christmas films do not fail me. I love Christmas films and it is absolutely essential for me to watch them on Christmas Eve/Christmas.
Now unlike the other lists I put up, these are ranked in order of my preference. Also I must add that if anyone has noticed, there is a "Recently Watched/Rewatched Films" list to the right of the page and those have been given ratings. These ratings directly refer to my love of the films and there is a great chance that they might not be "critically acclaimed" or "commercially successful" or both (a rare occurrence indeed), but I do love them if given a high rating or vice versa.


      Anyways, here are my most favourite Christmas films, in reverse order:

8) Elf- This is an adorable film about how a human baby crawls into Santa's bag of presents and grows up in the North Pole as an elf only to find out his "true nature" when he grows up. He then embarks upon a journey to New York to find his father, only to see that he has been in the "naughty list". Will Ferrel plays Buddy, the  human-elf who has to experience the greedy and often unkind world, that he changes with his true love for Christmas. The films also stars James Caan as Buddy's "naughty" father and Zooey Descahnel as his musical love-interest. 

7) Love Actually- This film shows us that during Christmas "love actually is all around". Of all the romcoms made on Christmas, Love Actually stands distinct. I love this film and it's enormous and fantastic cast. Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Martin Freeman, Rodrgo Santoro, Rowan Atkinson etc. The list goes on and on. I love Richard Curtis films because they end up leaving one feeling all warm inside, and that's exactly the feeling a Christmas film should leave behind. There are a whole bunch of intertwined stories in this film and all are set during Christmas time and all have some connection with love, whether it's young love, trans-lingual love, trans-Atlantic love, sort of nudist love, love between friends, love between the British Prime Minister and his worker, unrequited love, love between an old couple facing problems etc. (By the way, this paragraph contains 14 "loves" just in case you are wondering).


6) The Santa Clause- What happens if Santa falls of your roof and dies/disappears? Why, you take his place of course. This is exactly what happens to Scott. Obviously he isn't very keen on it, especially since he is facing problems with son Charlie and custody rights. Add to that, he starts growing this enormous white beard and gets a Christmas goodies-fetish. This film is sort of similar to Elf in showing how people do not care much about Christmas, but they need to be reminded of its magic. I love Tim Allen as Santa and the elves and his son are plain adorable.

5) Jingle All the Way- I love funny Arnold Schwarzenegger films!! While the best is Kindergarten Cop, Jingle All the Way is quite precious too. He plays a workaholic father, Howard Langston, who has to get the perfect action figure present, Turbo-Man, for his son on Christmas. Except, he forgets and goes to all extremes to buy it last minute. This is a hilarious films and one of my original favourites. Also, I like how it deviates from the whole "Christmas is not about presents" ideal. Damn right it is, and you know it!





4) The Nightmare Before Christmas- From this point on, all the films are technically on the same level but for rankings' sake... Tim Burton's and Henry Selick's animated Christmas feature has become on of the biggest and greatest cult classics ever. The story of Halloween Town and Christmas Town and Jack Skellington and Sally and all the weird Burton-esque characters is just brilliant. The idea that Christmas can be taken over by the most horrific festival- Halloween and what the outcome of it would be, how Santa Clause becomes Sandy Claws, and a blossoming love in all of this just shows the true friggin genius of Tim Burton! Oogie Boogie people!!!

3)  How The Grinch Stole Christmas- This can also be called How Jim Carrey and Dr. Seuss Go Together. They really do. I love the story of a green and hairy Scrooge-ish Grinch who hates Christams and the Christmas-loving Whoville. He has shunned Christmas like how the people of Whoville have shunned him. It suits both of them fine until a young Who called Cindy Lou decides to vote him as the recipient of Whobilation, a great tradition and honour in the little town. At first Grinch is hesitant, but he does come to join in the celebrations, only to be then insulted by the Mayor Augustus May Who. After creating much havoc, he decides to ruin Christmas by stealing all the presents, disguising himself as Santa and his dog Max as a reindeer. Even though his masterplan at first seems successful, he then realises that Christmas is about more than material gifts. A change comes over him, his heart grows three times its original choice and he decides to make Amends. This is the highest grossing Christmas film of all-time (in your face Avatar!), and it comes from the highly acclaimed and very cool producer-director pair of Brian Grazer and Ron Howard. This is one of Jim Carrey's best roles, second only to probably Count Olaf in Lemony Snickets: A Series of Unfortunate Events. His Grinch is funny and tragic at the same time and we love him for that.

2) Home Alone 1 & 2- Kevin McCallister's epic survival tales take place during the lovely snowy time of Christmas. These are amongst the most loved children and holiday films of all time. This is because of the fantastic story of how a young boy left home alone, and alone in New York survives and protects himself from two of the funniest baddies ever- Harry and Marv. Macaulay Culkin's legendary role made him amongst the most famous child stars ever. Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern and Catherine O'Hara are also part of the great cast. Chris Columbus has a gift of making evergreen and lovely children films (see Harry Potter) and these are amongst his best.

1) The Polar Express- Only animation can truly achieve feats that live-action cinema can only dream of. And I think Robert Zemeckis's The Polar Express is a testament to that. I absolutely love this film. True, not may paragraphs ago I said that Christmas is about presents. But it is also about believing in the good and the naughty and the magic in the world. The film is about a boy who is starting to think that Santa Clause and North Pole and everything is made up, and then he is visited by a magical train that takes him to North Pole on Christmas Eve. It is fantastically made film, slightly dark but heart-warming nonetheless. It is number one because while it does apply many of the Chistmas movie rules to it, the total effect of it, with the story, the images, the music, the characters, the mystery, the aura, the Christmas spirit make it absolutely unique and unforgettable. I love Tom Hanks with all my heart. The review is here. 


       A special mention to It's a Wonderful Life, which was quite lovely too, but not that Christmas-y for me. Also Robert Zemeckis's Jim Carrey-starrer A Christmas Carol. I haven't seen the other adaptations of Charles Dickens' classic, neither have I seen Scrooged or Miracle on 34th Street. I don't want to watch Santa Clause 3 or Four Christmases. I really do not want to see Bad Santa as it might scar me forever.


        So as the carol goes, "Tis the season to be jolly," have a great time on Christmas watching these films, if you would like.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

ALICE IN BURTONLAND

  

     "There is a place. Like no place on Earth. A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger! Some say to survive it: You need to be as mad as a hatter." - The Mad Hatter


    It is true...and only on man can bring such a place to life...the one and only...as mad as a hatter- the wonderful Tim Burton. Watching his Alice in Wonderland is a mesmerizing experience.


    This Alice In Wonderland proves that I was not a weird kid for not liking the book in 2nd grade. I mean the Alice with bags under her eyes, the Mad Hatter and his crazy friends and the barbaric Red Queen are hardly child-friendly people. What Burton has done in this movie is that he embraced these facts with open arms and using that made an epic for both children and grown-ups.


    Alice in this film is 19 years old. So basically, we are seeing her story at the time of Through The Looking Glass, the Alice In Wonderland sequel. She is being married to and ugly git called Hamish and she does not want to as he lacks her enormous imagination and humility, and is quite annoyingly proper- like everyone else around her. Her only friend was her imaginative father who had passed away. On the day of her engagement to Hamish, Alice overwhelmed by the whole situation, runs away for a moment only to find the White Rabbit and fall down the hole to Wonderland.


    After this we all know what happens more or less. She shrinks and grows a number of times and gets to meet all the Wonderland residents- Tweedledee, Tweedledum, Dormouse, Absulum-the Blue Caterpillar, March Hare, Cheshire Cat, Bayard, Stayne, Red Queen, White Queen and of course the Mad Hatter. They all expect her to slay the evil Red Queen's monster Jabberwocky and bring peace back to Wonderland as then the fair White Queen will become the ruler again.


    The best feature of this film was it's amazing cast. Any film which has Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Stephen Fry, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Crispin Grover, Michael Sheen and Christopher Lee together is bound to be brilliant. However, what I liked  most was that the newcomer, Mia Wasikowska, who played Alice was given the most importance as obviously; it was her film. And she did brilliantly. She was actually one of my favourite characters in the film. The others and how I rank them and what I thought of the is as follows:

    1) The Mad Hatter- Was there ever any doubt that Johnny Depp wouldn't play this role to perfection? I think not. Sure his face was plastered with make up and he had the most ridiculous outfit on(which I do want), his performance breaks out from all of them and stands in a league of it's on. He is absolutely genius in this film. Who can act as mad as a hatter and still manage to woo everyone but him? I mean he still has the Edward Scissorhands quirkiness mixed with Benny and Joon innocence and a hint of Sweeney Todd madness- which makes him a perfect fit for this role.

    2) Alice- It is true, I actually did love her this much. She was sweet, innocent, whimsical and beautiful. I loved her as Alice. I admired her for her ability to stand out amongst the absolute stellar cast of this film. I especially loved all her crazy outfits in the film. Mia Wasikowska has a long and prosperous career ahead of her and with Alice as a first, I can't even start to imagine her future film roles.

    3) The Red Queen- Helena Bonham Carter should get more credit for her acting genius. Thank god for her boyfriend Tim Burton who never manages to fail in giving her the perfect roles, which range from a futuristically primitive ape, a poor mother, a corpse bride, a human-flesh meat pies baker and a dreaded childhood fantasy queen in this case. She was kick-arse as the Red Queen. She can play the evil, barbaric and yet lovesick and easily amused monarch any day. And also say the phrase, "Off with their heads!" perfectly. Burton excellently Supersizes her head to imply her hatred of heads; and ofcourse, I don't think anyone could have pulled off a head so big with a performance so matched as Helena Bonham Carter.

    4) Cheshire Cat- Stephen Fry!!!! How amazing is this guy and how brilliant is his voice. I think, if a poll was to be taken everyone will choose the Cheshire Cat as their favourite character, after Mad Hatter obviously. We love the elusive cat and can't get enough of his enchanting voice.

    5) The White Queen- She was I think the biggest surprise. I always thought of the White Queen to be like those awful fairy princessy characters we see in films. But rather, she was an emo-looking monarch with a twisted head for potion-making and weird hand posture. Then again, Burton had put the lovely Anne Hathaway for the role and I have always known that she can do anything. Though I prefer her fresh and dainty, I like this gothic white face, dark lipstick and hollow eyes look too. And I liked how she made her voice seem much older than she is. I really enjoyed her character in th film.

    6) Blue Caterpillar- Alan Rickman's voice is I think the most iconic British voice ever. It signifies a deep wisdom, caring and undermining at the same time, with a bit a magic. and that's exactly what we needed for the opium(?) smoking Blue Caterpillar. I am so happy that he is also becoming a recurring person in Burton films.


    The others were good too but I loved the above mentioned best.


    Now what is the point of all this if I do not talk about the brilliant visionary and filmmaker who brings such fantasies to life. I called it Burtonland because Tim Burton managed to mix his twisted vision with the story wonderfully. The topiary animals, the twisted trees, the heads in the moat, the make-up and the costumes, the care of making sure that a character is never left out and all the magic in it- only Burton can do it. I have loved him and his movies for a long time. I love his nightmares and towns and characters and Johnny Depp-loveness. And because we share the same birthday. The best thing I love about him though is that he is such a Romantic beneath all that gore. The end of the film sees a blue butterfly flying away, showing Alice's freedom and her Wonderland going with her as that is the metamorphosed Absulum. Lovely.


    Though I loved the film, I cannot deny the fact that it could have been a bit better, especially the ending as it reminded me of a lot of fantasy films like Harry Potter and Lord Of The Rings. I would give it an 8.5 if I were to rate it, but I think I am too trivial to do such a thing.

    May the Depp-Burton relationship last forever!