Film Fairytale: The Secret of Moonacre

I must confess in advance that I have not read the book The Little White Horse, upon which this film is based, so I will not be able to analyze the film's ability to adapt the story.

The Secret of Moonacre begins with an ending, the death of Maria Merryweather's colonel father. Black dresses and a coffin, with only a single red rose for color. Yet even here, at her darkest hour, Maria's mind is open. She sees something very odd: a masked bandit standing boldly in the sunlight who disappears upon her second glance. Rather odd, huh? But Maria doesn't give the apparition any second thoughts. It's as if the sight wasn't out of the ordinary at all.

This attitude of acceptance, or faith, pervades the entire screenplay of The Secret of Moonacre. If you pause and examine some aspects of the story, you might begin asking questions to which there is no immediate answer. Why does Maria accept the fact that she's a Moon Princess so suddenly? Why does she become friends with Loveday right off the bat? Why does she go to Robin, her enemy, for help? Why does he, in turn, believe her? Some of these things just don't, to a critical mind, pass the test of reason. It just doesn't make sense.

But it is that which makes the film so delightful. Like Grimm's or Hans Christian Anderson's Fairytales, The Secret of Moonacre doesn't try to explain everything. Instead, it focuses on making a wholesome story filled with whimsy and imagination. We never find out exactly why the climax of the film must happen as it does; we're left to draw our own conclusions. But that's how most fairytales work. Why did the Prince fall in love with Cinderella? Why did Snow White disobey the Dwarves and eat the apple? Why did Robin Hood go to the archery tournament, nearly losing his life in the process?

Just, because.

The film is made even more delightful by it's excellent choice in cast. The story is borne along by the considerable acting talent of Dakota Blue Richards. The young British actress has an incredible talent for bringing just enough emotion to a scene, but not overdoing it. She particularly uses her facial expressions, or lack thereof, to maximum effect - a trait rare to find in child actors. Her Maria is at once distinctive and ordinary, making it easy for the viewer to sympathize with her. Ioan Gruffudd brings all of his Welsh charm to Maria's disappointed Uncle, and Natasha McElhone brings the many facets of Loveday's character to life convincingly. As an extra bonus, the two have an excellent chemistry. And, since this is a British film, we are offered a splendid cast of character actors which includes Tim Curry and Juliet Stevenson.

Just as in his 2007 film Bridge to Terabithia, director Gabor Csupo makes it his priority to make a whimsical and imaginative world meld impeccably with the realistic world in which the story is set. The sets and costumes were tastefully chosen, and the music composed by Christian Henson was quite gorgeous.

It is a very rare occasion when I will praise a film for not answering all of my questions. This is such a situation. The Secret of Moonacre was an excellent film because it did not try to be the most deeply thought-out story. It simply took things as they were, the crazy with the sane.

But I suppose much of real-life is the same, isn't it?