Film Express true to classic’s visual appeal and poignant story
Since its publication in 1985, Chris Van Allsburg’s The Polar Express
has become an acknowledged classic of children’s literature, a Yuletide tale
about faith and hope made unique not only because of the poignancy of the tale
but the author’s distinctive illustrations as well. The pictures in the book
have become so recognizable to young readers that the notion of trying to turn
it into a film seems like a foolhardy idea. However, director Robert Zemeckis
(Back to the Future, Forest Gump) has never been one to shrink
from a challenge, and when the book was brought to his attention, he knew that
putting it onscreen would require a deft touch and a radical visual approach.
With his adaptation of Express, Zemeckis has created a holiday classic
for the ages, a film so filled with eye candy that viewers run the risk of slipping
into a diabetic coma while watching it. There’s no question that this is a dazzling
ride, but in bringing Van Allsburg’s tale to the screen, Zemeckis and his co-screenwriter,
William Broyles Jr., have remembered the poignancy at the heart of the story
and transferred it lovingly to the film.
A boy on the cusp of adulthood who has come to doubt that Santa Claus exists
is awakened on Christmas Eve by the sound of a huge locomotive pulling up in
front of his house. Naturally curious, he goes out to investigate, and is invited
onboard by a kindly conductor who informs him that their destination is the
North Pole. As anyone would, he jumps on and embarks on an adventure to the
frozen north in which he will be tested psychically, as well as morally, as
a means of rekindling his faith in Christmas.
It’s a fairly simple tale, and Zemeckis and Broyles have had to add elements
to Van Allsburg’s story to get the film up to feature length. For the most part,
they are worthy additions, among them the inclusion of a poor boy whose faith
in Christmas and his family has been shattered, plus some lively songs and a
fabulous sequence in Santa’s toy factory that proves almost as thrilling as
any roller coaster. Though the film could have used one fewer chase sequence,
as its reliance on action threatens to obscure its heartfelt theme at times,
overall the tweaking of the two writers is solid and in keeping with Van Allsburg’s
story.
The film is a visual delight; a revolutionary new process used by Zemeckis,
called performance capture, pushes computer animation in a dynamic new direction.
All of the main roles, including the young boy, his father, the conductor, a
hobo on the train, and Santa Claus, are brought to life by Tom Hanks, whose
movements were recorded by 72 different cameras, all running at once. These
data were then fed into a computer, adjusted, and integrated into an elaborately
rendered world drawn to resemble Van Allsburg’s work. The result is truly spectacular:
Express treats the viewer to crystal-clear animated sights that are eerily
realistic. The Polar Express is a cinematic gift that will keep on giving
for years to come.
Intelligent Strangers takes a trail of deception to find truth
From unlikely relationships, inner truths emerge in the films of French director
Patrice Leconte. In his The Man on the Train, a hit man and a retired
school teacher forge an odd friendship, and in a small way, realize hidden desires.
The Widow of St. Pierre finds the warden of a provincial French prison
and his wife befriending a condemned man, and being rebuked for their troubles.
The Girl on the Bridge deals with the union of a suicidal man and a lovely
trapeze artist who find the will to live in each other.
Leconte’s latest effort, Intimate Strangers, continues this trend with
a relationship founded upon an elaborate lie. Distraught over her failing marriage
and the odd sexual requests of her husband, Anna (Sandrine Bonnaire) makes an
appointment to see a psychiatrist. Because of a simple misunderstanding, she
instead unburdens herself to a tax attorney, William (Fabrice Luchini), who
happens to work in the same building as psychiatrist. Taken in by her beauty
and story, William doesn’t try very hard to stop Anna, and allows her to make
another appointment with him.
As these clandestine conversations continue, Anna reveals more and more of
herself, and growing more confident, even begins to flirt with William. The
poor man is helpless in the face of this onslaught. Neither his estranged wife
(Anne Brochet) or Anna’s husband (Gilbert Melki) are too happy about these developments.
The emotional consequences of voyeurism are at the crux of the film. William
knows his silent eavesdropping of Anna’s shocking revelations, coupled with
the knowledge of the deception that their relationship is built upon, can only
lead to ruin. Amidst a tangle of lies and dubious behavior, the emotional and
moral inventory both William and Anna must make turns out to be the best therapy.
Both, however, are left with wounds that will not heal easily.
The intelligent script by Leconte and Jerome Tonnerre crackles with the sort
of smart and knowing conversations that are all too rare in movies. If the film
has one fault it lies in the chemistry between Bonnaire and Luchini. The actress
delivers an assured performance that anchors the movie, preventing it from veering
into melodrama. Meanwhile, Luchini does a fine job, yet he projects a sense
of emotional detachment that makes it hard to warm to William and causes us
to wonder early on why Anna would confide in him. Despite this, Strangers
is an uncommonly intelligent and intriguing exploration of the human psyche
in which a trail of deceptions prove to be the most powerful avenue to the truth.
Also in theaters . . .
After the Sunset [PG-13] A master thief (Pierce Brosnan) retires to
an island paradise. His arch nemesis, FBI agent Stan Lloyd (Woody Harrelson),
keeps an eye on him. Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace West
Alfie [R] Jude Law stars in remake of film about a cockney womanizer
whose failing health makes him reevaluate his life and actions. Parkway Pointe,
ShowPlace East
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason [R] Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger)
is growing uncomfortable with her relationship with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth).
Not only is he a conservative and they had an awful vacation, but he has a hot
co-worker and a stressful career. Plus, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) is back.
ShowPlace West
Friday Night Lights [PG-13] Chronicles the 1988 season of the Permian
High Panthers in football-obsessed Odessa, Texas. Based on H.G. Bissinger’s
book. Billy Bob Thornton stars. Parkway Pointe
The Grudge [R] An American nurse living in Japan (Sarah Michelle Gellar)
is exposed to a mysterious virus that locks people in a powerful rage before
killing them. ShowPlace West,
ShowPlace East
The Incredibles [PG]A family of superheroes lives quietly in the burbs
thanks to the Witness Protection Program, until they’re called into action to
save the world. Unfortunately, they are a dysfunctional family. Animated. ShowPlace
West, ShowPlace East
Ladder 49 [PG-13] A firefighter (Joaquin Phoenix), trapped in a fire
that’s likely to kill him, reviews his life. John Travolta also stars. Parkway
Pointe
Napoleon Dynamite [PG] The title character is an odd Idaho teenager
whose great loves are dancing and the ways of the ninja. White Oaks
The Polar Express [G] Based on the popular children’s book, a story
of a boy who is whisked by train to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. ShowPlace
West, ShowPlace East
Ray [PG-13] Jamie Foxx portrays musical legend Ray Charles. ShowPlace
West
Saw [R] A man wakes up in a dark room, chained to a pipe. On the other
side of the room, another man, also chained. A recorded message says the second
man must kill the first, or his wife and daughter will die. Described as violent,
grisly. Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace East
Seed of Chucky [R] Chucky and Tiffany settle into family life with
their baby boy. And where else would a family of killer dolls live but Los Angeles?
Parkway Pointe
Shall We Dance [PG-13] Frustrated middle-aged accountant (Richard
Gere) has a troubled marriage (with Susan Sarandon), spots a dancer (Jennifer
Lopez), and discovers his passion of, um, ballroom dancing. Parkway Pointe,
ShowPlace East
Shark Tale [PG] The son of the shark mob boss is found dead and a
fish named Oscar is at the scene of the crime. Voices by Will Smith, Robert
De Niro, Renée Zellweger, Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Martin Scorsese, and others.
Parkway Pointe
Surviving Christmas [PG-13] A depressed record executive (Ben Affleck)
returns to his childhood home and asks the family who lives there to take him
in for the holidays. They have their own problems. Also stars Christina Applegate,
James Gandolfini, and Catherine O’Hara. Parkway Pointe
Taxi [PG-13] A rookie cop (Jimmy Fallon) tries to connect a bank-robbing
beauty (Gisele Bundchen) to a series of recent burglaries. He gets his tips
from a mouthy cab driver (Queen Latifah). White Oaks
This article appears in Nov 4-10, 2004.
