Movie Review: Stardust
Every once in awhile, a film comes along that is so genuinely heartwarming that its warm and fuzzy feeling stays with you for hours after you have left the theatre.
In 2007, that film is called Stardust.
Stardust tells the story of Tristan (Charlie Cox), a young, awkward shopkeeper who will stop at nothing to win the affections of Victoria (Sienna Miller), a young woman who, by all appearances, is clearly out of his league. When she agrees to marry him if he brings her a fallen star from the supernatural and forbidden land of Stormhold, he embarks upon a perilous journey to retrieve it. What he finds on the other side teaches him about the enduring power of love and changes his life forever.
It is sometimes difficult to balance different film genres without having one element suffer. Action films that try to be too funny are often silly instead. Fantasy films with too much action can become victims of over-the-top CGI effects. Romance can seem contrived and awkward when combined with action and fantasy.
Against all odds, Stardust manages to find the perfect balance of action, romance, drama and fantasy. As I left the theatre, I could not remember the last time that I so enjoyed a fantasy film. Stardust left me starry-eyed.
Oddly enough, Stardust is directed by Matthew Vaughn, a British director and producer who directed Layer Cake and produced Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and (unfortunately for him) Swept Away. I was surprised that someone who has made a career of bringing brutally violent action films to the big screen could be responsible not only for directing, but for writing the screenplay of the most romantic movie in recent memory.
In Stardust, Vaughn has created a film that is original, visually stunning, well-choreographed and superbly cast. At a time when Hollywood seems to have been sapped of its creativity, and remakes and sequels have become the norm, Vaughn has taken the bold step of adapting original material (the film is based upon the novel by Neil Gaiman) to create this film. The fact that he has done it well, I hope, will serve as an inspiration to others to follow his lead.
What makes this film exceptional, however, is its acting. Robert DeNiro delivers one of the most amusing, campy performances of his career. Michelle Pfeiffer, although cast as a wretched old hag for the second time this year, is wickedly delightful. Sienna Miller manages to keep her clothes on for a change. But it is the wonderful chemistry between Charlie Cox and Claire Danes that makes this film special. I have no doubt that Stardust will be a star-making turn for Cox and that, before the end of the year, his face will be plastered on the walls of teenaged girls throughout the planet. (I have to confess that he even peaked the interest of my inner cougar.)
Stardust is a film for all ages. It is a great family film for parents of children over the age of 9 (the film has no overt violence but younger children may find some of the scenes frightening). It is a fantastic date film. Sure, you will eventually have to come back to earth, but for a few hours, I guarantee that Stardust will propel you into the stratosphere. (9 out of 10)
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