Movie Review
Siddharth Martis
3 / 5
The BFG is a film directed by Steven Spielberg and is written by Melissa Mathison. It stars Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, and Rebecca Hall, along with Bill Hader and Penelope Wilton.
Allow me to correct that statement; Spielberg and the two leads are this film’s only assets. Surprisingly, that’s enough to make a trip to Giant Country a moderately satisfying, if whole-heartedly shallow journey.
On a simply technical level, this movie is absolutely masterful as the settings are not only aesthetically pleasing but almost euphorically surreal. Spielberg labors tremendously to transform The BFG into a family film for the ages. Though perhaps his ambitions weren’t completely fulfilled, he still crafts a visually stunning film that really captures the whimsy and majesty of the source while injecting some of his own trademark quirks.
Spielberg’s gorgeous vision of Giant’s County is further realized as it is populated by breathtaking performances by Mark Rylance and Ruby Barnhill. Rylance delivers another wonderful performance under Spielberg’s direction, as the title character and really transforms the part into a consistently likable and relatable force that really grounds the film. Ruby Barnhill delivers a fantastic performance that never stops charming.
With all that stated, I think I have the right to feel cheated when the shockingly sub-par script is played out. The uneventfulness and artificiality of it all really did bring down the whole project and makes the film feel more tedious than enjoyable. The lack of diversity in characters makes it all the more cumbersome as none of them develop enough to outgrow their inbuilt clichéd archetypes.
A Big Friendly Giant creeps down a London street, snatches little Sophie out of her bed, and bounds away with her to giant land.As a film, The BFG is mediocre. As a Spielberg film, The BFG is a downright travesty. Though I do understand that Spielberg has made some questionable films, I can’t really identify a film this boring in his entire filmography. To be fair, he isn’t the problem with the film. In fact, he and the two leads might be the film’s largest asset.
Allow me to correct that statement; Spielberg and the two leads are this film’s only assets. Surprisingly, that’s enough to make a trip to Giant Country a moderately satisfying, if whole-heartedly shallow journey.
On a simply technical level, this movie is absolutely masterful as the settings are not only aesthetically pleasing but almost euphorically surreal. Spielberg labors tremendously to transform The BFG into a family film for the ages. Though perhaps his ambitions weren’t completely fulfilled, he still crafts a visually stunning film that really captures the whimsy and majesty of the source while injecting some of his own trademark quirks.
Spielberg’s gorgeous vision of Giant’s County is further realized as it is populated by breathtaking performances by Mark Rylance and Ruby Barnhill. Rylance delivers another wonderful performance under Spielberg’s direction, as the title character and really transforms the part into a consistently likable and relatable force that really grounds the film. Ruby Barnhill delivers a fantastic performance that never stops charming.
With all that stated, I think I have the right to feel cheated when the shockingly sub-par script is played out. The uneventfulness and artificiality of it all really did bring down the whole project and makes the film feel more tedious than enjoyable. The lack of diversity in characters makes it all the more cumbersome as none of them develop enough to outgrow their inbuilt clichéd archetypes.