Into The Woods (****)

In 2001, Moulin Rouge was released to the surprise of critics and the bedazzlement of audiences. It was, in many ways, the rebirth of the film musical, long since absent from mainstream cinemas (the last musical to receive a Best Picture nomination prior to this was All That Jazz in 1979). The next year of course, Chicago won the Oscar, and ever since, we have seen more and more Broadway adaptations, and with box office results, it seems to be working. There's something about musicals that no other film genre can mimic. It's a spectacle - a show put on for us by actors and presented as though they know an audience is present. It's kind of fun to get away for a few hours.

Rob Marshall's Into The Woods does just that, and remarkably well. Marshall has almost single-handedly help hoist the feature musical to its current stature, having directed Chicago and also released the less-than-stellar Nine a few years back. This is his first outing with Stephen Sondheim (of Sweeney Todd fame), and it's with a sharp eye that he very much succeeds at making one hell of a show.

The musical is somewhat of a tapestry of fairy tales, from Cinderella to Jack and the Beanstock. They all live within the same town, next door to an ominous wood. We get to know these characters in a very quick and witty introduction, which sets the stage for the brilliant lyricism that will continue throughout the show. It's fast, to the point, and clever writing, and Sondheim quickly reminds you why he a master at musical storytelling.

We meet the main characters; the Baker and his wife. They are tasked by a Witch to collect a variety of items within 3 days in order to break a spell and allow the two to become pregnant. It's a good a setup as any, I suppose. With time ticking, they must collect a red cape, a golden slipper, some yellow hair, and a white cow... Let's see if you can connect the items to the fairy tale?

There are a lot of characters to meet and a lot of story flying past, but rarely does it feel rushed or burdening. Of course we know some songs were cut due to pacing and time, and overall the picture has a very musical flow, and the interruption of a few songs during the climax aren't bothering - to the contrary they are almost more fun than the actors singing them.

The best musicals are well cast, and aside from the oftentimes flat Johnny Depp with his curling lip and whispy voice, Marshall has assembled a gorgeous cast. It's hard to pick a main character as it is more of an ensemble, but each character delivers. Cinderella, for one, has a particularly clever song on the steps of the prince's castle, played out in a near standstill. The Baker and his wife also play off each other as they try to protect the other from harm. It's Emily Blunt as the wife that really carries her own, silly and burdened, her performance is a highlight of the film. As is Meryl Streep's Witch, of course. What could have become bland caricature is fleshed out into a sympathetic and dangerous woman. Her final song in the film is showstopping in every sense of the word.

It's no surprise that the film is technically marvelous, it's something you would come to expect with such a subject matter. While it is at times a bit campy and perhaps a bit silly to be considered amongst the best of the year, it is nonetheless a movie that knows how to have fun. In such a bland year for movies, that's something to definitely take advantage of.

(Awards potential: Best Actress (Blunt, Streep), Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing)