Coraline (2009) (Movie Review)

  There are two categories of movies I love to consume around October … Horror movies and family films that have a heavy lean toward either Halloween or general spooky content. Creepy animated Halloween family films in particular have always held a special place in my heart, and I could view any one of them as my favorite, depending on which one I happen to be watching in the moment. For the longest time, if I was to select an absolute favorite out of my figurative pumpkin-patch, it would have been 1993’s stop-motion classic “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, directed by Henry Selick. 

However, many years later in 2009, mid-way through my college years, came another spooky-themed stop-motion picture called “Coraline”, which was again directed by Henry Selick. It was through sheer word of mouth I went to see this film, as I saw nothing of the advertising or even that much marketing. I didn’t set my expectations too high, but I figured it might be a fun watch … one viewing later, this film did the unthinkable for me, and replaced “The Nightmare Before Christmas” as my new favorite animated picture to watch around Halloween. It was a special case in which I instantly pegged a film as a new Halloween classic, and I feel it’s only gotten better over the years.

   Based on Neil Gaiman’s novella of the same name, this spooky children’s venture focuses on a little girl named Coraline Jones, who’s adapting to her new dreary life in a Pink Palace apartment complex in Ashland Oregon. Her parents are financially recovering from a car accident, and are focused on work, to the point where they just can’t spare any time for their emotionally strained little girl. 

After receiving a mysterious doll, which barres a striking resemblance to Coraline herself, it leads her down a different and twisted path behind a secret door. When she emerges on the other side, Coraline finds a paradise world, which is a perfect replica of her real home … except now it’s bright, colorful, upbeat, and not at all like the boring home life she left behind. Ruling over this realm is an entity claiming to be Coraline’s other mother, who along with another father and residents, give her the love and affection she’s been missing from her real family. Night after night, Coraline desperately returns to this alternate reality, unaware that the longer she stays … the more it literally begins to consume her. Soon enough, the world reveals it’s dark and twisted secrets, and it gradually becomes an exciting adventure involving ghosts, monsters, and a talking black cat.

  In a surprising way, this film was the “Alice in Wonderland” I had always wanted, as “Coraline” delivered the same escapist wonder, but was also anchored by the heart and subtext that I always felt “Wonderland” was lacking.  

In general, I never felt like Alice gained anything from her experience, as in most versions, she simply slipped into a fantastical world, and came back out the exact same person she was before she went down the rabbit whole. Coraline by contrast at the start of her magical journey is selfish and emotionally distant from her parents, yet gradually becomes a completely different person then who she was at the start, and is finally able to make a positive connection with her family when she returns to the real world. It isn’t overly emotional either, and is just the right amount substance to keep the experience from feeling like a derivative venture into another dark fantasy world. The character of Coraline is also brimming with personality, and is a genuinely appealing screen presence, even when she displays her faults in the opening. Dakota Fanning delivers what is in my opinion … one of her all-time best performances as the voice of Coraline. She was already a great talent, but the energy and attitude she channels in Coraline are so genuine, and different from any of her previous childhood roles, that I’m not even picturing the talent behind the microphone. The performance in the animation is equally as compelling, as every one of her reactions and inflections feels real, to the point where … I know she’s a puppet, but it feels like a live performance in front of the camera.   

  I also feel the message of the film speaks for itself, without any characters needing to spell out the obvious, and for me, that’s when a movie really archives something special. I think many kids can relate to having their own special forms of enjoyment or maybe even mental escapes from either the set-backs or hardships of the real world, and this film cleverly highlights the dangers that come from that escape … and how it may eat away at their lives if there not carful. When Coraline encounters three Ghost children who surrendered to the surface level appeals of the other world, it ended up consuming them, and they both figuratively and literally had nothing left to live for. As such, we have scary content for kids, but with subtext underneath, similar to how the grim-fairy tales were intended to scare children into remembering a message. On that note, this film definitely has its intense content and scary imagery, but I also feel it’s done with purpose, and is also balanced out with more then enough positive content. Honestly, this film perfectly walks its tightrope, between being whimsical and uplifting one moment, then dark and thrilling the next.   

  At the center of all the films frightening material is the sinister other Mother, who has a secure place among my all-time favorite animated villains. It’s one thing to have an openly dangerous threat, it’s another to have an entity luring children into a death trap … and all through the promises of love and joy. I think that the scariest villains are the ones that don’t seem threatening until it’s too late. Case in point with the other mother, who at first glance seems like the nicer, more loving parent, when really, she’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Actually, she’s more like a giant spider, but even that has subtext, as she’s literally weaving a web of deception around her victims. On that note, once she reveals her true form, it’s one of the most spectacular monster designs I’ve ever seen. Voice actress Teri Hatcher once again hits it out of the park with a dual performance as both Coraline’s mother and the monster taking on her likeness.

  The supporting characters are also very memorable, and once again, unlike Alice, I like that Coraline actually makes friends on her journey. Some of the other world duplicates display genuine concern for her, despite being creations of the villain. The talking Black Cat voiced by the always reliable Keith David, provides Coraline with a companion to aid her through all the challenges, but he isn’t always comforting to her with his approach, nor is she in return, and it makes their friendship all the more interesting as a result. If I had any reservations with this movie, it would be the two elderly stage performers, who in Coraline’s alternate world put on a stage show … which reveals way too much of the ladies. Honestly, the film already warranted its PG rating, and I don’t think it needed to include this disgusting stage show. The two elder ladies also contribute to the creepiest detail of the whole film … stuffing their dead pets, and displaying their bodies as house hold decorations … which is the only piece of scary content that I feel has no real purpose in the film.

  Getting back to the positives … this film is a visual marvel to behold, and after almost fifteen years, it still looks amazing. Naturally, the film was brought to life through practical stop-motion and puppet effects … which are so detailed, and so smooth, it still makes me wonder how they pulled this off. In general, I feel animated movies are always more impressive when there stop-motion films like this, as I love looking at all the designs knowing that there all real sets, props and puppets that act and perform right in front of the camera. 

I’d go so far to say that the visual look of “Coraline” transcends beyond being a technical achievement, and right into the realms of iconography. The button eyes in particular are now a staple of spooky, yet iconic imagery in children’s media. Also, for as much as I love spooky family films to watch around Halloween, they can occasionally feel visually repetitive, and not have too much decorative variety on display. “Coraline” by contrast has a distinct look and personality that’s all its own, and doesn’t feel like any other movie I watch around Halloween. It doesn’t even have any traditional Halloween imagery, aside from a pair of Jack-O Lanterns in the garden, but regardless, it still carries an atmosphere and mood the just feels right for the season.          

 

  Another one of the films many strengths is the music score composed by Bruno Coulais, which also adds to the film’s distinct atmosphere and dreamlike mood. Similar to how composer Danny Elfman utilized eerie children’s quires, I feel the music in “Coraline” takes it one step further.  

The children’s quire in this film really takes on a dual nature, as it’s both comforting and unsettling in equal measure. Most of the time, this score puts me in a relaxed state of euphoria, but always with an ominous sense of dread, and when combined with the imagery, it really helps the experience take on a life of its own. It also works in tandem with Henry Selick’s direction, which is slow and leisurely paced, but always engaging, and really pays off when things get exciting. As we segue into the films third act, the movie takes on it’s new life as a video-game style adventure, as Coraline's once cheerful settings have taken on a dark appearance, are now filled with dangerous obstacles, a special item that needs to be retrieved, and a final boss at the end. It’s a little off-beat with the rest of the film, but very entertaining, and it really makes me want to play a video game based around this environment.    

  When I look back on Henry Selick’s previous film “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, I feel it didn’t need to do much to win me over as a favorite film to watch around the holiday season, as it was swimming in imagery, music and a story that revolved around my two favorite holidays. “Coraline” by comparison didn’t have as obvious a hook for me, yet still won me over, and even surpassed my feelings of his first film, with lots of imagination, a visually stunning world, an engaging lead character, a memorable villain, and story that I feel perfected the formula of a girl transported to an imaginative setting. 

The film was a critical hit upon it’s release, and was even nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Animated Picture … but lost to Pixar’s “Up”. Speaking personally, while “Up” was another great film, it was also nominated for Best Picture that year, so I feel it was too easy a win for best animated picture, and shouldn’t have been included as an option … then perhaps “Coraline” would have had a better chance of winning. In the end, even though “Coraline” isn’t directly aimed at Halloween, it’s still very creepy, twisted and dripping with a haunting other worldly atmosphere. It’s scary, but very exciting … crazy, yet imaginative … dark, but not without some decent family morals. Great atmosphere, eye-pleasing visuals, imaginative storytelling, a top-notch vocal performance from Dakota Fanning, and so much more make this my favorite animated movie to watch around Halloween, and by extent, it’s one of my personal favorite animated films. 

Thanks for reading my review of the 2009 animated picture “Coraline” … and continue to enjoy the holiday specials you Love!

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!