Mirror Mirror

Tarsem Singh's visionary adaptation of Snow White is a distant, colourful departure from the Brother Grimm's classic.

The Queen leads a lavish and indulgent lifestyle, plunging her kingdom into debt.  Seeking an attractive and wealthy solution, the Queen intends to marry the Prince, but he defies her intentions when he meets the King's beautiful daughter, Snow White.  Punished for upstaging the Queen, Snow White is sentenced to death, but is given the chance to escape and seeks refuge with a gang of bandit dwarves.  Together they embark on a Robin Hood-esque quest to restore justice to the kingdom.

Opulent and decadent, Mirror Mirror continuously borders on the ridiculous through the film's emphasis upon the excessive.  From the Queen's curious beauty treatment through to the Prince's costume at the ball, the film dismisses depth in order to indulge a younger audience.   Lily Collins stars as the royal protagonist, naturally radiating innocence and charm.  Her performance resonates of a Disney princess who has stepped straight from the classic animations, with a graceful and expressive demeanour.  Armie Hammer also gives a good turn as the Prince, who is used as a narrative leverage between the Queen and Snow White.  Supported by an enchanting soundtrack by Alan Menken, the composer of several of Walt Disney's greatest classics, the film also features a surprising cameo by Sean Bean and a Bollywood-esque ending, producing a contemporary rewriting of the classic story.

The greatest flaw of the film, however, was that it lacked a truly satisfying villain.  Julia Roberts delivers a somewhat entertaining turn as the Queen, but her continual attempts at humour prohibit her from achieving the fear that her character should inspire.  Her queen is a Marie Antoinette figure, living a life of decadent silk gowns and lavish parties; her motivations driven simply by financial deprivation.  When challenged "isn't that a trifle excessive?" she answers without hesitation that "there's no such thing."  Roberts' portrayal thus produces an indulgent and shallow woman, and little more.

A charming, contemporary fairy tale for young imaginations, Mirror Mirror fails to strike depth and resonance with an adult audience.  An innocent retelling that captures none of the original text's darkness.