Secret of Moonacre

3 Responses to “Secret of Moonacre”

1. 

   E. A Solinas 06. Sep, 2010 at 4:45 pm

   Review by E. A Solinas for Secret of Moonacre
   Rating:
   A unicorn, an ancient curse, magical pearls, a blood feud, a forest haunted by bandits, and a bit of “Romeo and Juliet” romance (without the suicide). “The Secret of Moonacre” is something of a modern fairy tale, and Gabor Csupo films it in the style is deserves — a lush, exquisitely magical little tale full of magic.

   When her father dies, Maria Merrywether (Dakota Blue Richards) discovers that his debts have left her penniless — all she inherits is a storybook about the Moon Princess and her magical pearls.

   She and her governess are sent to live with Sir Benjamin Merryweather (Ioan Gruffudd), her grumpy uncle who lives in a vast decaying mansion. But soon Maria begins to realize that something strange is afoot — it turns out the story of the Moon Pearls is true, and a strange young woman named Loveday (Natascha McElhone) warns her of what will happen in just a few days.

   And along the way, she discovers that the Merryweathers and the bandit clan called the De Noirs have been at war over the pearls for centuries. However, the only way that Maria can find the pearls is by enlisting the help of Robin De Noir (Augustus Prew) — and if she doesn’t succeed, the entire valley of Moonacre will be destroyed.

   “The Secret of Moonacre” is loosely based on Elizabeth Goudge’s classic fantasy novel “The Little White Horse,” although they take some hefty liberties in the name of drama. However, it’s still a lovely little movie with a distinctly British flavor, as well as a mixture of wide-eyed optimism and the usual stuff about pride, getting along, love overcoming all, and so on.

   The script is a mixed bag — the dialogue has moments of banality (“It is not the pearls but the greed in our hearts which brings us this misery”), but also some enchanting humour (“How can I possibly go to live in the country? It’s full of… the countryside!”). And a small warning: the De Noirs look like refugees from “A Clockwork Orange.”

   But the movie is worth getting if nothing else for the sets and scenery. Director Gabor Csupo paints the entire movie with lush magical forests, a bandit citadel with a dungeon, a bedroom with murals and a sea-bed, dusty old libraries and an overgrown kitchen where an elfin cook bounces around like a Lewis Carroll character. Nearly every scene looks like a pre-Raphaelite painting, and Csupo milks it of every ounce of fairy-tale beauty and magic.

   And though this is only her second movie, Dakota Blue Richards easily takes center stage and gives a gutsy flair to her ladylike character. Gruffudd and McElhone are quite good as the grumpy aristocrat and the pretty hermit, and Tim Curry is sneeringly nasty as Coeur De Noir (although he seems totally lost in the last scene).

   “The Secret of Moonacre” has some flaws, but it’s still a charming little fairytale that enchants the senses and makes you feel warm’n'fuzzy. A lovely little treat.

2. 

   Compusurge 06. Sep, 2010 at 5:02 pm

   Review by Compusurge for Secret of Moonacre
   Rating:
   The Secret of Moonacre played at our local theater last evening and I caught it with my daughter (age 10) who had seen the trailer for it recently and had been talking about it ever since. What a beautiful film, both physically (what you see) as well as story-wise (what you get).

   A filmed fairy tale based on the acclaimed novel “The Little White Horse”, the story of a young girl recently orphaned is filled with joy, fright, heartbreak, laughter, love, hate and hope. Sent to live with her eccentric uncle at his very mysterious home of Moonacre Manor, a young Maria finds herself in a world of magic and myth. Discovering that an ancient family feud has kept Moonacre in danger for many a year, Maria also learns that she is the next moon princess and that she alone may be able to succeed where others before her have failed. From there, the story takes you on a journey that is captivating throughout as Maria attempts to save Moonacre from slipping into eternal darkness, something that must be accomplished before the 5000th moon rises, something she cannot quite accomplish alone. As I do not want to put any spoilers within this commentary, I will only tell you that the final scene of this film is simply upliftingly fantastic.

   The Secret of Moonacre is perfectly suited for children. I would say for ages 8-15, more for girls than boys, but there are elements to the film that boys, too, will enjoy. The special effects are superb starting with Maria’s bedroom which is located atop Moonacre Manor with a clear ceiling that lets her view the starry / dreamy nights while laying in her bed. For girls there is a beautiful Unicorn and a very rare Moonacre rabbit; for boys there are outlaws in the forest (led by Tim Curry btw), an evil-looking but protective dog and an extroadinarily unique black lion. Moonacre is a love story and Moonacre is a joyous fairytale. It is a film with a female lead herione who challenges a world she faces that is filled with obstacles. Moonacre comes complete with lessons taught (i.e. how jealously and hate are destructive and yet they can be overcome). It is a film definitely worth repeating as its filled with small details that only repeat viewing will expose. The Secret of Moonacre is destined for greatness.

   My daughter already wants to own it and for sure, she will. I’ve already placed an order for the blu ray version which I can only imagine will be stunning to watch.

3. 

   Jose D. Ramos 06. Sep, 2010 at 5:57 pm

   Review by Jose D. Ramos for Secret of Moonacre
   Rating:
   This movie is like alice in wonderland meets the chronicles of narnia!!! I Love narnia and this movie is like a copy of narnia but its really funn and magical. I Love the black Lion that appears in this movie!!!!!! Pll u need to see this movie is terrific!!!!

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