Culture

What better way to engage an audience who are afflicted by today’s frightful economic climate than to present a storyline based around a financially burdened kingdom thanks to the follies of a beauty-obsessed queen?

In one sense Tarsem Singh’s Mirror Mirror affirms issues of violence, superficiality, 1950s patriarchy and jealousy through the subliminal targeting of the recently-emerged tween demographic attributable to the likes of Miley Cyrus, the Olsen twins, Bieber fever and those of the Jonas Brothers’ ilk. This is overshadowed, however, by fantastic performances, enthralling imagery and wonderful set and costume design thanks to the late Eiko Ishioka. While I am not typically a fan of the wide-mouthed, big haired beauty that is Julia Roberts, her spitfire attitude and infectious laugh translates fantastically as the evil queen who doubles as a stepmother to Snow White (played by Lilly Collins, daughter of Phil Collins).

Rather than representing the queen’s younger and more beautiful counterpart as in the Disney version of Snow White, here Snow White is portrayed as a Boadicea-like character, representing the 99% who are not at all in favour of the kingdom’s deficit. If anything, this interpretation offers integrity as opposed to the classically stereotypical and possibly damaging themes that are evident in most fairy tales.

Mirror Mirror is fun, dark-humoured and, though it greatly departs from the orthodox Disney model of Snow White, it in no way fails to meet the high expectations inherent in creating a fairytale adaptation. But can Mirror Mirror compete with the talented (*sarcasm*) and multi-faceted actress, Kristen Stewart, in Snow White and the Huntsman that is due for release in June? Watch out for vampire-esque bloodshed, for this charming and inspiring tale is by no means Grimm.

- Sasha Borissenko