Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events
Review by Zachary K. Parker
Once the lights darkened, a short picture about a happy little elf, sponsored by Nick. Jr. started playing, and for a brief moment, I thought I was watching the wrong movie.
Fortunately, it ended quickly (the elf was getting on my nerves anyway), and a narrator quickly informed the audience of the film’s darkly threatening nature. Of course, the narrator was Lemony Snicket (a pseudonym for Daniel Handler). Jude Law’s performance as Snicket makes this his sixth movie in 2004, the year of Jude. Now comes the Apocalypse.
Snicket begins to relate the story of the three Baudelaire children, whose parents mysteriously died in a fire. Violet (surprisingly solid performance by Emily Browning) is the oldest and quite the inventor; Klaus (Liam Aiken, inexperienced yet displays some potential) is a bookworm with a remarkable memory; Sunny (Kara and Shelby Hoffman) is the youngest and likes to bite (literally and verbally—shown by the clever subtitles for her mumbling).
Unfortunately, the three orphans are entrusted to their closest relative, Count Olaf (Jim Carrey). Circumstances change as quickly as Olaf’s volatile emotions, and they are sent to live with their kind Uncle Montgomery Montgomery (Billy Connolly). Soon they are forced to live with their Aunt Josephine (Meryl Streep), and unfortunate events follow assuredly.
After Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, Jim Carrey returns to his outstanding comedic abilities. Combined with the brilliant make-up and his masterful grasp of character changes and facial expressions, Jim Carrey is entirely convincing as the sleazy, malicious, and enormously unpleasant Count Olaf.
An actor by profession, Count Olaf, lies, steals, and murders to achieve his own ends. He also keeps company with vagabonds and transvestites within his acting-fantasy world. Carrey's character transformation was practically so flawless I nearly forgot I was watching Jim Carrey, except when he made an obvious reference to a scene in Ace Ventura.
Meryl Streep as Aunt Josephine is funny, annoying, and lovable. Billy Connolly as Uncle Monty was truly one of the most endearing characters I have seen all year.
I would gladly watch the film over again just to see the brief sequences involving him. Actually, that brings up one of my complaints about the film.
The director, Brad Silberling, and screenwriter, Robert Gordon rearranged three books into one movie, which made Streep and Connolly’s screen time significantly and sadly much shorter. Otherwise, the story seemed to work well from my viewpoint, the only complaint being “It moves too quickly, I want more.”
More than often, Thomas Newman’s musical score complemented the film rather well, created a haunting, memorable ambience for the film's dark, but lively story (Little Women, Road to Perdition).
Likewise, the film's cinematography was amazing: As usual, Emmanuel Lubezki excellently handled the darkness and light, giving the film a sometimes murky and quirky feel. Imagine Lubezki’s work in Hearts in Atlantis meets Cat in the Hat, and there you have Lemony Snicket, very similar in parts to his work in Sleepy Hollow.
It’s a wonderful work and amazing in how creative and beautiful the music and imagery combine together to create a truly unique experience that could stand on its own regardless of any story or characters.
In facing the danger and “unfortunate events” around them, the Baudelaire children do not turn to God or to any other supernatural or authority figure or element. For the most part, the children cannot trust in the power of any authority figures that are sometimes unreasonably blind to any given situation.
Instead, they look to themselves for the power to rise above the surrounding predicaments, which seems to me a little narrow-minded. By contrast, in Harry Potter, the characters are undoubtedly saved by a supernatural power, expressed through “magic” used and taught for their protection by loving, wise adult figures, not solely by their inventions, book knowledge, or physical force, erm, biting.
On the other hand, the film's overall worldview does not suggest a hopeless, fatalistic world. No matter what, family and honorable friends are a "sanctuary" in times of tribulation.
Silberling conveys the malevolence of people in the world, while unmistakably delineating the line between good and evil. Its pervasive gloom seems to all but swallow the protagonists until by seeming "fortune" light penetrates the darkness and highlights a salvific path.
Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events is an enjoyable family film and encouraging story of redemption. Its Jim Carrey performance adds an entertaining factor to the film, but its cinematography combined with director Brad Silberling’s deft handling of human emotion in dark times strongly resonates with the viewer, providing a significantly satisfying experience.