The Rice Thresher

Location: http://the.ricethresher.org/ae/2007/08/24/stardust_review

August 24, 2007 > Arts & Entertainment > Stardust freshens old fantasies

Stardust freshens old fantasies

By Sean McBeath | Thresher Editorial Staff

Stardust will probably be overlooked by movie-going crowds this fall. Too many cinema bums will wallow in the shadow cast by the much-anticipated film adaptation of Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass. But for now, audiences are missing out if they opt for big-budget films like Rush Hour 3 over this fantasy gem.

While it does not revolutionize the action-fantasy genre, Stardust takes a fresh tack in relaying its story. Based on Neil Gaiman’s 250-page novel of the same title, director and co-writer Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake) weaves the tale without the overwrought flashiness that all too often dominates in new movies. Rather, Vaughn and co-writer Jane Goldman (“The Big Fat Quiz of the Year”) focus on the development of their characters. Visual effects are just that: effects. In fact, visually speaking, Stardust is somewhat plain.

The tale beings through narration. In England, it is said, near the town of Wall, lies a portal to another world. Despite an octogenarian guard watching over the gateway, young Dunstan Thorn (Split Decisions’ Ben Barnes) slips out and into the magical world of Stormhold. He meets a girl there, and one thing leads to another when, nine months after his return to England, he receives a curious package. Within lies the protagonist, Tristan (The Merchant of Venice’s Charlie Cox).

From here, the story follows a familiar path: Tristan grows up as the town shop boy of Wall, England. Naturally, he also vies with the suave, handsome Humphrey (Tristan + Isolde’s Henry Cavill) for the affections of Wall’s most beautiful girl, Victoria (Casanova’s Sienna Miller). Seeking to win Victoria’s love by tracking down a falling star, Tristan finds himself trekking across the lands of Stormhold.

Depite a rather cliche plotline and somewhat typical fantasy world characteristics — witches, monarchical government, Victorian-era attire — Stardust’s telling works well enough to leave little room for complaint. Vaughn’s presentation focuses on small worlds of the characters, giving the audience a greater connection with them as people instead of distant, mythic figures.

Hardly a character Tristan encounters fails to receive at least nominal exposition. With the aid of big names like Venus’ Peter O’Toole, The Hours’ Claire Danes and The Good Shepherd’s Robert De Niro, Vaughn offers some of the best character development of any film this year.

Even purely transitional characters, such as De Niro’s Captain Shakespeare, fit into the puzzle of the movie in such a subtle, elegant manner as to go unnoticed. Despite receiving about 30 minutes total screen time in a 130-minute film, the brief dual development of Captain Shakespeare and Tristan works beautifully, a small microcosm of the larger character group. As Tristan becomes more like Shakespeare, Shakespeare becomes more like Tristan in a medley of brilliant cut-scenes with which Vaughn silently communicates a wealth of personal growth in both characters.

Stardust sticks to the basics of great storytelling and uses individual people as its building blocks. It avoids showing itself off with an overabundance of flashy effects and presents characters to which viewers can relate without idolizing them. It sets itself in a world that is just different enough from our own to be interesting but similar enough not to become confusing. It is a refreshing return to the bread and butter of fantasy film that will remind viewers why the genre has become one of America’s favorite forms of escapism.

End of article

Back to top