Into the Woods (2014)
Though much more well known now, Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods was relatively obscure when the 2014 film adaptation was made. A relative of mine had never heard of it, and she was shocked to discover it was a musical. She thought it was going to be a spooky thriller set in the forest. A friend had no idea it was a conglomeration of fairy tales, and she didn’t like the dark turn it took in the second act. However, musical theater buffs knew the show very well, and we all flocked to the big screen when it was turned into a film.
After the opening number concluded, I stood up from my seat and applauded. I shouldn’t have been surprised, because Rob Marshall is a musical director genius, but I was blown away by the high quality of the production. Every single set transported me to the fairy tale land, from Jack’s dilapidated cottage to the palace’s splendor. The woods themselves were dark and mysterious, intriguing and magical. Every movement of the camera, every interpretation of the song to help advance the story, was beautifully crafted by Marshall. His snub at the Oscars was a great travesty. As was a nomination – or hopefully a win – for Best Picture.
Most people name Bernadette Peters are their favorite Witch, but some have been partial to Vanessa Williams. I grew up listening to the latter, and I thought no one could top her delivery. Meryl Streep did. She put more into her expressions and delivery than I thought was possible. After hearing her singing voice in several other films, I was very impressed by the new, beautiful tones she employed for Sondheim’s songs. And though it had nothing to do with her talent, the makeup and hair team sure worked wonders. Meryl was nearly terrifying in the first act, and after her transformation, she was more beautiful than in her entire career.
In the lead roles of the Baker and Baker’s Wife were James Corden and Emily Blunt, who were both fantastic. Having only seen Carpool Karaoke, I wasn’t expecting much from Corden, but he was lovely. His comic timing was as good as expected, but he also put drama and heartache into his performance. Blunt had a very pretty singing voice, and she put an earthy realism into the role that added just enough contrast to the fairy tale setting to keep the audience interested.
There’s a dark tone to this show, and if everyone was as sugary sweet as in Enchanted, audiences wouldn’t feel any tension. But with Anna Kendrick’s and Lilla Crawford’s “snarky” interpretations of Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood, respectively, as well as Johnny Depp’s dark performance of “Hello Little Girl”, the audience can’t fully relax. Contrast is key, though, and if everyone’s performances were full of shadow and gloom, the effect would be lost. Thankfully there are some characters and numbers that are purely fluff and comedy that everyone can enjoy. Chris Pine and Billy Magnussen sing “Agony” atop a waterfall, and it’s probably my favorite part of the movie. They have so much fun with it (as all actors who play the princes onstage do) and their charm is infectious.
Some people just don’t like the message of Into the Woods: what happens after “happily ever after”? If you prefer your fairy tales to be straightforward, you probably won’t like this show. Or you might just want to turn it off after the first act. But if you do like dark twists to your fairy tales, or if you can get into the spirit of mixing comedy, tragedy, and life wisdoms, this might become one of your favorite musicals of all time. If you’ve never heard the songs before, you’ll probably want to have a Kleenex box nearby, since Sondheim’s lyrics are painful and true to life. I loved this film, and since I was in a stage production of the show, my praise should be valued highly. Many performers aren’t able to watch other versions of their shows objectively; my boyfriend (who was also in the musical) didn’t like the 2014 film. Chris Pine was just too handsome.
More Emily Blunt movies here!
More Meryl Streep movies here!
After the opening number concluded, I stood up from my seat and applauded. I shouldn’t have been surprised, because Rob Marshall is a musical director genius, but I was blown away by the high quality of the production. Every single set transported me to the fairy tale land, from Jack’s dilapidated cottage to the palace’s splendor. The woods themselves were dark and mysterious, intriguing and magical. Every movement of the camera, every interpretation of the song to help advance the story, was beautifully crafted by Marshall. His snub at the Oscars was a great travesty. As was a nomination – or hopefully a win – for Best Picture.
Most people name Bernadette Peters are their favorite Witch, but some have been partial to Vanessa Williams. I grew up listening to the latter, and I thought no one could top her delivery. Meryl Streep did. She put more into her expressions and delivery than I thought was possible. After hearing her singing voice in several other films, I was very impressed by the new, beautiful tones she employed for Sondheim’s songs. And though it had nothing to do with her talent, the makeup and hair team sure worked wonders. Meryl was nearly terrifying in the first act, and after her transformation, she was more beautiful than in her entire career.
In the lead roles of the Baker and Baker’s Wife were James Corden and Emily Blunt, who were both fantastic. Having only seen Carpool Karaoke, I wasn’t expecting much from Corden, but he was lovely. His comic timing was as good as expected, but he also put drama and heartache into his performance. Blunt had a very pretty singing voice, and she put an earthy realism into the role that added just enough contrast to the fairy tale setting to keep the audience interested.
There’s a dark tone to this show, and if everyone was as sugary sweet as in Enchanted, audiences wouldn’t feel any tension. But with Anna Kendrick’s and Lilla Crawford’s “snarky” interpretations of Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood, respectively, as well as Johnny Depp’s dark performance of “Hello Little Girl”, the audience can’t fully relax. Contrast is key, though, and if everyone’s performances were full of shadow and gloom, the effect would be lost. Thankfully there are some characters and numbers that are purely fluff and comedy that everyone can enjoy. Chris Pine and Billy Magnussen sing “Agony” atop a waterfall, and it’s probably my favorite part of the movie. They have so much fun with it (as all actors who play the princes onstage do) and their charm is infectious.
Some people just don’t like the message of Into the Woods: what happens after “happily ever after”? If you prefer your fairy tales to be straightforward, you probably won’t like this show. Or you might just want to turn it off after the first act. But if you do like dark twists to your fairy tales, or if you can get into the spirit of mixing comedy, tragedy, and life wisdoms, this might become one of your favorite musicals of all time. If you’ve never heard the songs before, you’ll probably want to have a Kleenex box nearby, since Sondheim’s lyrics are painful and true to life. I loved this film, and since I was in a stage production of the show, my praise should be valued highly. Many performers aren’t able to watch other versions of their shows objectively; my boyfriend (who was also in the musical) didn’t like the 2014 film. Chris Pine was just too handsome.
More Emily Blunt movies here!
More Meryl Streep movies here!