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Rating:
Annoyed by a computer-generated poster with a horrible print saying "From the creators of 'The Chronicles of Narnia'", I decided not to go see this movie! Damn commercial operation! Another Disney Pixar or "Polar Express"-like film, instead... After a long time, I discovered that this film is not made by computer (you know... I don't watch much TV, and I hadn't seen the trailer), and I realized I had overlooked for a long time a true cinematic masterpiece.
A wonderful movie that never descends into the sugary propriety of Walt Disney or the cheap sentimentality of a Christmas flick (which I feared most), this is a dramatic, touching work that prompts the viewer to reflect without dazzling them with irritating X-Box 360 style effects. A story that concerns each of us, adolescence, the difficult transition between childhood and maturity (problems with friends, with family, and especially with oneself), the only way to navigate this harsh daily reality is to create a fantasy world. We've all done it. Anyone who hasn't means they had a childhood! Each of us has created a fantastic world to escape reality..., but this "simple" concept is expressed in a deep and intelligent way, with an almost perfect screenplay and excellent direction; there are many nuances to catch in this film. Someone even talks about a religious message, the girl Leslie appears in Jesse's life at a moment when the boy is stopping dreaming and starting to see the world with adult eyes... and it will be she who will begin to open his mind to show him a new world, a better world, then... once the way has been shown... Leslie disappears... and Jessie will have to "preach" her world to her loved ones, namely her little sister. We all can access the better world... the divine world... just listen to Jessie and open your mind. But doesn't it remind you a bit of the story of Jesus and the Magi? But aside from this... the film hits your heart... and it hurts too! The last time I cried was at the first film screening of "E.T." when I was still a child.
With this film, I relived the sensations of childhood, the good and bad moments, the desire to dream, the loss of loved ones, we all belong to this story! It's impossible not to shed a tear at the end of the viewing.
Director Gabor Csupo hits the mark! Emotional, surprising, enchanting, moving, frightening. It's not easy to bring fairy tales to the screen (90% of adaptations fail!) this film is truly well directed! The special effects are few, well done, and serve ONLY to show the imaginative side of the two kids, this is a Real Fantasy! It might seem contradictory but it is. Stuff like "Lord of the Rings" has become outdated! One doesn't live by computer graphics alone! Films must move. I was moved. Top marks!
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