Nancy Kaffer
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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
December 14, 2005
Recent Articles
- Arts & Culture, The Scene Mar 22, 2006
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V is for Vendetta
Vendetta isn’t the stink bomb many fans of the graphic novel expect. Andy and Larry Wachowski, the screenwriters responsible for the flashy Matrix series, have managed to do justice to the subtle and intricate sensibilities of Moore’s 1982 work. A timeless story about rebellion in the face of totalitarian government, it’s just as relevant today as it was when Moore penned it during Margaret Thatcher’s tenure as Britain’s prime minister.
- Arts & Culture, The Scene Mar 22, 2006
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Tsotsi
Tsotsi is difficult to watch; the characters and situations depicted in this South African film are so unrelentingly grim that it’s all but impossible to find any joy at all in the bleak lives of title character Tsotsi (Presley Chweneyagae) and his mates, shantytown thugs who make a living by stealing, violence and mayhem. But that’s what this movie is about — finding humanity and beauty amid violence and rubbish.
- Arts & Culture, The Scene Feb 15, 2006
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Sisters in Law
This riveting documentary was filmed in a primarily Muslim village in Cameroon, a former British and French colony that’s considered one of the more stable African countries. It focuses on four court cases prosecuted by Judge Beatrice Ngassa and heard by state prosecutor Vera Ntuba. The crimes aren’t pretty, including the cases of Ladi and Amina, Muslim women who are prosecuting their physically and sexually abusive husbands. It’s rare for women to bring such charges, and convictions are rarer still. Both Ladi and Amina must confront a great deal of social pressure to drop the cases, go back home and try and patch things up with their abusers. Their cases reflect the clash of traditional culture with modern laws.
- Arts & Culture, The Scene Dec 14, 2005
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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
In the much-anticipated first film adaptation of the series, the four Pevensie siblings travel through a magical wardrobe to the land of Narnia, where trees can talk and mythical creatures exist. But Narnia isn’t just holiday fantasy camp: The evil White Witch (Tilda Swinton) has held sway there for 100 years. The four Pevensie children, along with a host of talking animals, must defeat the Witch in accordance with an ancient prophecy and take their rightful places as the rulers of Narnia. On one hand, director Andrew Adamson’s cinematic adaptation is beautifully rendered, and the human casting is spot-on. But something is still missing.
- Arts & Culture, The Scene Sep 28, 2005
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Zazie dans le Metro
It’s not hard to imagine that a film about the escapades of a precocious tyke scampering through the streets of gay Paree could descend into the saccharine. Fortunately, Louis Malle’s 1960 film Zazie dans le Metro does not become overly schmaltzy. Unfortunately, however, it does become a bit blasé, which is quite a feat for a film involving a transvestite and creative use of profanities. The film is a visual feast that’s well-acted and charming more often than not, but those looking for a tighter narrative or well-knit plot may prefer Malle’s more serious-minded works.
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