CLEMENTINE'S REVIEWS

7th October 2009
Coraline (2009)

Director: Henry Selick
Writer: Henry Selick (screenplay) Neil Gaiman (book)
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, Robert Bailey Jr., Ian McShane

Be careful what you wish for.

Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) is bored out of her mind since her and her family moved to a place out in the sticks. Coraline's parents (Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman ) are consumed with their work writing garden manuals and have no time to spend time with her. There's no luck with the eccentric neighbours either: retired burlesque dancers Miss Spink (Jennifer Saunders) and Miss Forcible (Dawn French), the startling acrobatic Mr Bobinsky (Ian McShane) and oddball boy Wybie (Robert Bailey Jr.). Coraline tries to fend off boredom when she discovers a tiny door into an alternate reality - one where everything appears to be fantastic and fun version of her life. But not everything is as it seems.

This is a classic 'be careful what you wish for' tale. Dark and a little scary, this is no happy children's story, and we wouldn't expect anything else from Neil Gaiman, who wrote the original book. Sitting at the record for the longest stop motion animation, every little detail really speaks a thousand words. The entire world is so textured and vivid. Some scenes completely boggled my mind that they managed to create endless micro movements to achieve such a spectacular pay off. As CGI becomes commonplace we've taken for granted the sweat of animation. Stop motion still holds so much awe in the technique and craft of the method, the surface textures of every creation and the feeling of space between the placement of objects, that is something that can't be done in CGI.

Not a single space is misplaced in the script - it's tight, smart, and a real joy to watch unfold. With this much labour in every second it's never been more imperative to have every scene worth its animation. Coraline is a brilliant, brave heroine. I liked Coraline's parents though they seemed a touch too insensitive, wrought with exhaustion and exasperated (they remind me of Calvin's parents - Calvin and Hobbes). I actually liked the addition of Wybie (not originally in the book), mostly due to the poignancy of Other-Wybie.

Verdict: Excellent story with excruciating detailed stop-motion animation is an absolute delight.

Read Alaris' review of Coraline (2009).