An interview with Brave’s Mark Andrews & Katherine Sarafian
I was recently able to sit down for a chat with Disney Pixar’s Brave director Mark Andrews and Katherine Sarafian for Blogomatic3000. Having been thoroughly impressed with their labour of love (have a look of my review for specifics), there were loads of questions I was eager to ask. However, due to time limitations, I was only able to raise a handful, but Andrews and Sarafian were quick to respond with an enthusiasm inherent to those who truly love their jobs.
Though focusing predominately on Brave and how they brought the film together, as a big fan of The Incredibles (which both Andrews and Sarafian worked on), my final question had to be about where things stand with a follow-up to Pixar’s super-est of heroes. So, read on for a peek inside two of the minds that make up the most innovative studio in film-making today.
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Pixar’s Brave stands proudly amongst the studio’s finest work
If ever a studio was primed for complacency, it would be Pixar. For over 25 years now, John Lasseter’s team has been pushing the boundaries of computer graphics animation, going on to win six Oscars for Best Animated Feature and leaving a pack of contemporaries in a distant second place. Yet, for their 13th feature film, Pixar has branched off into new territory, as Brave not only features the studio’s first female protagonist, but also sets the tale in their most realistic environment to date. In a distinct move away from the more cartoonish aspects of animation, the design and detail of Brave makes it easy to forget that everything onscreen is CGI. Thanks to a beautifully touching plot, not only is Brave certain to bring home Pixar’s seventh Best Animated Feature statuette, it is likely take a place at the top of the year’s best films, full stop.
Set in 10th century Scotland, Brave is the story of young Princess Merida’s struggle to cope with the expectations attached to the position she has been born into. Dealing with rebellion, resentment and regret, Brenda Chapman has crafted a Celtic folk tale that is easily relatable, regardless of age or gender. Despite creating a princess as its lead, Pixar isn’t actually breaking into Disney Animation Studios terrain, as Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) is neither in need of rescue by a prince, nor faced with any fairy-tale foes. Instead Brave, sees her lash out against plans for a parentally arranged marriage. The consequences of her actions not only help her to mature and gain perspective, but also allow Merida to come into her own within her family. This is complicated character development that Chapman and her writing/directing team of Mark Andrews and Steve Purcell deftly weave into the action. The fractious relationship between Merida and her mother, Elinor (Emma Thompson), is tenderly balanced, as both mother and daughter are portrayed as fallible but well-intentioned. While it may have taken Pixar too long to create a heroic female lead, they have certainly ensured that it has now been done properly. Merida may be the second arrow-slinging heroine to hit the silver screen this year, but in a genre where female characters are either frilly or forgettable, Brave’s fierce, fiery-haired lass is in a league of her own.
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The ugly truth about Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
With the immense box office success of The Lion King‘s 3D conversion last year, it was only a matter of time before similar films followed suit. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is highly regarded as an animated classic, so who is to argue with a 3D theatrical re-release then? Well, this reviewer volunteers (may as well add “as tribute” since this unpopular opinion just might spell my end). Over twenty years after its initial release, there seems little reason for the film to be occupying cinema space again.
Beauty & the Beast return to cinemas in 3D on 4 May
While the hand-drawn animation has an uneven charm, there isn’t much that holds up visually when compared with modern animation. In terms of outright stunning imagery, Beauty and the Beast hits its peak right out of the gate with a gorgeously rendered series of stained-glass windows that illustrate the story’s prologue. It’s here that the added 3D works subtle charms. It goes on to add nice touches of depth to establishing shots, but once characters are moving about, the smoothness of the animation is ruined by the conversion-induced motion blur. Where CG animated features such as Disney’s own Tangled or Dreamworks’ Puss in Boots look great in 3D, the format is simply not suited for traditional animation.
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John Carter (possibly of Mars, maybe) makes a clumsy landing
In John Carter, Disney loosely brings Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “A Princess of Mars” to the big screen, with Taylor Kitsch as the titular lead. By boasting a budget of a quarter of a billion dollars while employing a cast low on star power, the emphasis is clearly meant to be on the spectacle. In that regard, John Carter doesn’t disappoint, but there’s little else that makes the experience noteworthy, as the script lays out a lengthy journey of peaks and valleys before reaching a conclusion that is both clever and daft at the same time.
John Carter goes to Mars on 9 March
An opening prologue depicts the turning point in the civil war on Mars as the Therns, holy messengers acting essentially as puppet masters and led by Mark Strong’s shape-shifting Matai Shang, select their chosen one in order to sway the war’s outcome. A brief title sequence later and John Carter himself enters the film, setting up an important premise and a tip of the hat to Burroughs. The character of this former Virginian cavalry captain is quickly established through his tough, unrelenting approach. By Disney standards, Carter is also quite cynical and refuses to fight on behalf of any other man. Happening upon a golden cave, Carter is attacked by a protective Thern whose medallion inadvertently transports Carter to Mars, or Barsoom, as it is called here. Upon arrival, Carter quickly finds that his physical strength has greatly increased as he can jump vast distances and strike with extreme force. Once discovered by the green, four-armed Tharks, Carter is taken captive as a rare creature. This despite the Tharks having full knowledge of the red men of Mars, who look identical to this “animal” save for Carter not having henna designs all over his body. This raises a major issue with John Carter. This is science fiction, where “fiction” should be in all capitals. It requires a massive suspension of disbelief to get on board with the premise and the plot. Never mind that Barsoom looks suspiciously like the canyons and deserts of Utah and not particularly other-worldly. Never mind that atmosphere must be exactly like earth’s, while still having some magical impact on Carter’s abilities. And that paper thin excuse for how Carter can suddenly communicate with the Tharks? Better just forget about that.
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