THE NUTCRACKER: THE UNTOLD STORY

UK/Hungary, 2009, 110 minutes. Colour.
Elle Fanning, Nathan Lane, John Turturro, Frances De La Tour, Aaron Michael Drozin, Richard E. Grant, Yuliya Vysotskaya, Charlie Rowe, Peter Elliott.
Voices of: Shirley Henderson, Alan Cox.
Directed by Andrei Konchalovski.

The Nutcracker: The Untold Story was not popular at the box office – in fact, a box office failure. It is an ambitious film, an expensive film, set in 1920s Vienna, bringing to life some of the stories of The Nutcracker Suite and using some of the music. There are also some lyrics composed by Tim Rice to the melodies – which do not necessarily work particularly well.

Andrei Konchalovski is a celebrated Russian director, a career in the Soviet Union before moving to the United States in the 1980s with such films as The Runaway Train. His career has been a mixture of Hollywood popular films as well as serious films, moving from the United States back to Russia at times after the collapse of Communism.

Elle Fanning is Mary, a little girl whose parents (Richard E. Grand and Yuliya Vysotskaya) are due to go to a social event. She is waiting for Uncle Albert (Nathan Lane) to come and babysit her. He tells her stories.

The stories come to life in a fantasy world, partly delight, the discovery of The Nutcracker (with Shirley Henderson’s voice) who comes to life as the prince. However, all is not easy in this fantasy world. It is ruled by the Rat King (John Turturro) with the advice of his mother (Frances De La Tour who doubles as the maid in the household). Max, Mary’s younger brother (Aaron Michael Drozin) is a mischievous boy and teams up with the Rat King to his own dismay and his need to be rescued.

The various adventures are probably exciting for very young audiences. Adults will find them a bit trying. In fact, that is the main impact of the film, probably enjoyable for children who want some fairy tales, some fantasy, a Christmas setting. Older and and their parents might find the film rather hard to sit through.

After production, it was reworked in 3D......