Coraline

I feel that this movie, Coraline, was actually just a drop of brilliance that fell from the heavens onto the head of film director Henry Selick. Where else could this stroke of genius have come from?

Multi-verse theorists rejoice, for this movie captures the idea of an alternate universe. A universe where a dastardly monster resides. The beldam... a creature that feeds off the lives of unsuspecting children, indulging their every whim until reality holds no interest for them. It is at this point that she stakes her claim on them by sewing simple black buttons on their eyes, forever holding them in her world.

*spoilers* 

But which foolish children would even consider living with this horrible being? Certainly not a young girl named Coraline! Yes, Coraline...not Caroline...it's Coraline. The story begins with dear Coraline and her hum- drum parents who movie into a seemingly hum-drum house with exceedingly eccentric neighbors. She meets a boy named Wyborne (whom she "affectionately" *heavy sarcasm* dubs as "Why-Were-You-Born"). He gives her a doll that is an exact replica of herself- from her blue hair to her yellow swampers, except it has black button eyes. After exploring the house on a rainy day, she stumbles upon a small door. After an anti-climatic discovery of a wall of bricks behind the door, Coraline heads off to bed only to be awoken. Running down to the door, she sees it open up to another world! Adventure, danger and excitement assumes.

This is definitely not a sunshine-and-rainbow animated movie. No, this movie is dark yet funny. Creativity just oozes from each frame. I believe this to be one of the most brilliant movies I have ever seen. In fact, I loved it so much that I went on to watch it ten times in a row, pausing almost every ten seconds, just to analyze it. It astounds me to no end the amount of detail that went into making this phenomenal movie. The whole film was a stop-animation film. Who had the patience for that? Henry Selick did and I worship him for that.

The movie seems to contain a simple and well-known moral for younger generations: the grass isn't always greener on the other side...because the other side might just have a hunger monster waiting to eat you. But for older people here are some ways I interpreted the film:

The Other Mother: Oh, wouldn't everyone want a mother like her? So perfect and warm. Nice to the core and all her attention is focused only on you! Plus, she cooks the most amazing meals! Be wary, don't fall into her trap. She wants to distract you from the true horrors she is leading you to by surrounding you with tempting things. It's like feeding a pig everything its ever wanted just so that the farmer can slaughter it and eat it for Christmas dinner. The button-eyes signify that she is trying to blind you- to get you to blindly follow her so that you cannot rely on anything, or anyone, else. You are solely her property.

The Cat: I love cats, especially this "wuss-puss". He represents the people of the world who can resist the "Other Mother". He sees only the truth and can ignore the distractions thrown at him. He sees things for what they are...and who they are.In the end, the Other Mother thinks of him as a danger to her prey and continuously tries to get rid of him.

 Coraline: I think that Coraline is a representation of everyone. We all want something better; a better world, a better life, better friends, better parents, better jobs... But really, we won't know how much we care about those things until they're gone and we're left to rot. Fantasy is a mirage. It seems like a much more promising picture, but in the end, it's nothing more than just that- fantasy...a thought. Reality will never leave us hanging, no matter how bad things seem to get.

Would I recommend this movie? Absolutely. I give this 5 stars, ten fingers, ten toes, two thumbs, 3 Michelin stars, a Nobel Peace Prize and any other honor/ award available out there.