Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
starring Jim Carrey, Liam Aiken, Emily Browning, Timothy Spall, Catherine O’Hara, Billy Connolly, Luis Guzman, Jennifer Coolidge, Craig Ferguson, Jane Adams, Jamie Harris and Meryl Streep, with Dustin Hoffman
written by Robert Gordon
directed by Brad Silberling
I was interested in this movie since my students saw it during school holiday last year and came back to school with very detailed accounts of it. They loved it and had a lot to say. But generally speaking I don’t like Jim Carrey movies because - despite my feeling to rally in support of a fellow Canadian - he is just too manic. And I am right again. This movie is another showpiece for Carrey’s talent. And, I don’t dispute that he has talent. I just don’t care for it.
Based on the book The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room and the Wide Window by Lemony Snicket the story is about three orphaned siblings being shuttled around from one guardian to another in search of a permanent home after their parents die in a house fire (that later is discovered to have been arson). The story is narrated by Lemony Snicket (voice by Jude Law). Who the hell is Lemony Snicket?
Featuring mostly black-and-white, the movie is difficult to watch because every scene is an eyesore, and it’s difficult to listen to because it is so senseless. I regret having rented it.