Coraline feels alone in the world. Her parents, more interested in their work neglect her. Brushing her off with an indifferent attitude and leaving her to herself all alone in their 150 year old house. Her parents' demeanor rubbing off on her as she makes friends reluctantly. Always with an attitude and a rude comment. She rarely has anything nice to say. But that is to be expected. Gone from her old friends she really only has herself. Well, her and her neighbor Wybie (voiced by Robert Bailey Jr.) who she doesn’t really like.
Her world was mostly gray. Like deep days into autumn. Trees leafless and twisted. The sky dark and the ground covered with the corpses of their brethren. Fallen limbs and broken sticks. The ground thick and soft under her feet as she walked through the woods, guided by the misguided belief that she was a Water Witch as she looked for an old well. There she met Wybie, her neighbor and a person she instantly disliked.
The nights were lonely for her. All alone in her room, still unpacked from the move, she wished for something different. She wished that she had parents who cared, or at least acted like it. This is where the story gets interesting. As she explored the house she came across a small door locked and covered by wallpaper. Upon opening it there was just a brick wall. Just another disappointment as she went on with her life.
That night she awoke, the moon still out and the night still cold, to a mouse trying to get her attention. She got up and followed it, It leading her to the little door, once locked and sealed, to find that the brick wall was gone and now in its place was a tunnel. Curiosity got the best of her as she crawled through it. Inch by inch she went. As she arrived at the end, there she was, back in her house. Only this time it was different.
She introduced herself as Coraline’s ‘Other Mother”. A woman with buttons for eyes and a sweet, caring personality. Her ‘Other Father” was there, too, as they sat down at the dinner table having a meal. Something was off, though.
And then it happened. She was offered the chance to live there with them forever. The only catch? Her eyes would be taken out and replaced with buttons. Something that Coraline didn’t want to do. She then left with the intent to never come back but things beyond her control made that an impossibility as her parents were taken and she had to return to save them.
This is a story about loneliness. A story about what people will do to feel as though they matter. As though they mean something to others and how in the end family is family and even though it isn’t always perfect you should be grateful to have one. That’s more than a lot of people can say.
Even with its gothic themes this turns out to be a happy story. The story more frightening than the visuals, something that very few movies can pull off. This film is a work of art. One telling a story of what it means to be family.
8.5 out of 10
No comments:
Post a Comment