Nim's Island
A friend and I went to see Nim's Island last night. When I read the plot synopsis a few days ago, I thought the plot sounded pretty good. I wasn't disappointed. What strikes me most about this film are a couple of things. One is that it is 100% wholesome! There's no sex, gratuitous violence or nudity, and significantly there isn't a mean bone in the body of this film. How can this be!? The closest thing to ill-will was the portrayal of the passengers on a cruise ship, but even then, was it a slam or an accurate portrayal. I would like to think it was good-natured fun and an attempt at throwing more humor into the film.
Not that there isn't light-heartedness galore in the first part. The critters are several, and they are not anthropomorphized as much as they are given distinct personalities that include empathy.
The little girl in the film runs the show as far as screen presence. When she's around, your eyes are on her. Abigail Breslin was the girl in the film, "Little Miss Sunshine", and she's as cute now as she was then. It's something to see how well she covers a wide range of emotions. The thing I think I like best about her is her competence.
The dad/hero in the movie, Gerard Butler, looked familiar throughout the film, but I couldn't quite place him. Boy was I surprised when I looked him up on imdb.com and discovered that he was the dude with the big white teeth in "300"! He is more life-like in "Nim's Island", but still larger than life in my view. What really impresses me about his character is that he's an outstanding parent and that he is a MacGuyver kinda guy. Anybody who likes to see what good modeling for a parent looks like and who is into gadgets will LOVE this movie. Don't worry, neither is over the top.
Now we come to Jodi Foster. She isn't the little girl in Taxi Driver anymore, but she continues to give solid performance. It's good to see her up on the screen again.
The messages in the film are that girls can be competent, fears can be overcome, and curiosity is a good thing. There are lots of other, more subtle messages as well.
This is a film that many adults will enjoy, and I can't think of any kid over the age of 6 that wouldn't enjoy it. Check it out.
Labels: adventure, children's, film
posted by ms_lili @ 9:28 AM
0 comments
