Stardust is about a young man named Tristan who grew up in a village called Wall, named for the large wall separating the town from the forest where a whole other world exists filled with magical beings. Basically, the women of Stardust not only do very little, but also are severely lacking in any sort of empowerment. Una is kidnapped by another witch, Yvaine is kidnapped for a time by Tristan, and Victoria, though never kidnapped, is barely in the movie and is portrayed as rather vain and selfish. This sends a particularly bad message, especially since of all of the good female characters I mentioned, only one wasn’t someone’s prisoner. The only female participants who are very active at all are the evil witches, particularly Lamia, their leader. Victoria, Yvaine, and Una don’t get to do much of anything-they don’t fight battles, go on any great quests, discover any great secrets, or attempt to gain the family throne. But while rewatching it recently, I realized how often the women in the movie were not active participants in the story. And Robert De Niro clowns it up as a closeted gay pirate ship captain, one of the world's most macho professions.I really love the movie Stardust. Peter O'Toole is sly and absurd as a morally depraved old king. Ricky Gervais has a couple of funny scenes as a merchant. She seems to genuinely relish being imperious and appalling.ĭirector Matthew Vaughan casts some famous faces in cameo and feature roles, but instead of having them merely show up, he places them well and gives them things to do. Now in her late 40s, she may be coming into her queen years in a particularly entertaining way. A temporary spell enables her to regain her youthful looks, but in order to make her youth a more permanent feature, she needs to kill the star and cut out its heart, which she's looking forward to.Īs a young woman, Pfeiffer always had a down-to-earth, put-upon grumpiness, but that quality was never really exploited. Michelle Pfeiffer, who had lots of fun hamming it up in "Hairspray," has even more of a blast in "Stardust," as the leader of a coven of three wicked sisters. Her name is Yvaine (Claire Danes), and she wants to get back to her place in the firmament.īecause the characters are all driven by a specific need, they drive the story. The star itself is not a thing but a person. And an evil prince, Septimus ( Mark Strong), needs a medallion worn by the star, without which he can't take possession of his father's throne. Michelle Pfeiffer is a 400-year-old witch who needs the star to regain her youth. "Stardust" sets up a story in which everyone has a selfish motive for finding and possessing the star. If he can do that, the idea goes, he will prove himself worthy and win her hand - or at least prevent her from agreeing to marry someone else. In true storybook fashion, Tristran tells Victoria that he will return in one week and bring back the star for her, which becomes a kind of a romantic test. He's in love with a shallow local girl, Victoria (Sienna Miller), and one night, as they sit together, they see a falling star streak across the sky. Tristran (Charlie Cox) grows up to become a romantic and something of a bumbler, with big dreams and deep emotions. Nine months later, back in his lackluster town, a baby arrives on his doorstep, a son named Tristran, who becomes the focus of the story. On the other side is an enchanted forest, a world of magic that no mortal has ever seen - until a young man leaps the wall and has a night of bliss with an enslaved princess. On one side is a picturesque but prosaic English town from about 200 years ago. "Stardust" is a film of humor and imagination, with an exceptional cast.īased on the Neil Gaiman novel, the story takes place in a world in which there are, in fact, two distinct worlds, separated by a wall. The storytelling is the movie's prime virtue, and everything else is extra - but those extras are generous. The stakes are high for everyone, and ultimately all the strands come together with a sense of inevitability. It's a charming and smartly plotted fantasy that follows several characters, each in hot pursuit of something essential to their survival. It tells a story on a wide canvas, with lots of idiosyncratic characters, disparate pockets of adventure and splashy effects.īut unlike "Pirates," "Stardust" is anything but a wretched mess. "Stardust" is in many ways what "Pirates" was intended to be - an adventure story set in the past, with elements of romance alternating with elements of the grotesque and supernatural. If "Pirates of the Caribbean" showed what you get when you make a movie fantasy out of an amusement park ride, "Stardust" shows what you can get when you base one on a novel. For complete listings and show times, and to buy tickets to select theaters, go to /movies
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