Review: The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

Posted on 6 December, 2018

Look no further for this year’s Christmas movie treat.

Inspired by both E.T.A. Hoffman’s short story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King and the ballet of that story, adapted by Marius Petipa to highlight Tchaikovsky’s sublime music, this has been a Christmas mainstay for more than a century.

To have it given the Disney treatment by no less a director than Lasse Hallström (Chocolat, Cider House Rules) is fitting and the result is delicious. At just one hour 39 minutes it is a treat that everyone can admire and enjoy. The session I saw was full of adults, all of whom stayed for the post-credits ballet sequence – with happy smiles on their faces. The film doesn’t feel brief, it feels rich and satisfying.

Tchaikovsky’s music pops up throughout, accompanying a gorgeous ballet sequence or giving reference to the action. In a nice nod to classic Disney, we also see the silhouette of the conductor and various instruments in the orchestra against a colourful backdrop a couple of times, echoing Disney’s Fantasia.

The story follows Clara who, along with her sister and brother, is facing her first Christmas without her mother. She goes to her beloved ‘godfather’s’ Christmas party and receives a gift that is way more than she bargained for – entry into a magical kingdom that seems to be ruled by her.

To say too much more would be to detract from the magic as the story reveals itself. Just believe that this is a richly satisfying visual feast, cleverly combining Victorian-era stagecraft, clockwork, magic, childhood delights and fears. The sets are amazing, like a beautifully illustrated Edwardian picture book.

With the four regents of the realms portrayed by Richard E. Grant, Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley and well known Mexican actor/producer Eugenio Derbez, and Clara’s dad played by Matthew McFadyen the casting isn’t bad either. Morgan Freeman is Drosselmeyer and the godfather and inventor and the Nutcracker himself is Jaden Fowora-Kright (who is he and why haven’t I seen him before?). The ballets are danced by the renowned Misty Copeland – and coincidentally all three of these performers are of African origin and it doesn’t matter a bit. It just is, and that is how it should be.

As Clara, American child actor Mackenzie Foy manages a reasonable British accent and has a lovely strong yet ethereal quality in the role. However, I did get a little tired of her bent-but-outstretched-arm run, which was just a pose too far in a very theatrical production. There is plenty of humour throughout (Knightley nervously eats her own fairy floss hair) and the story develops at a good pace.

I was captivated from the first swooping flight of Drosselmeyer’s owl over a Christmas-y London – which goes on for long enough to give the viewer a pleasant sensation of flying themselves – to the last ballet.

Roslyn saw this film as a guest of Limelight Cinemas Tuggeranong.

Feature image: facebook.com/pg/DisneysNutcracker