statia13
I found this film to be delightful, and whimsical. It is a movie for all ages to enjoy. By the title, I was reluctant to watch this film, thinking it was made primarily for children. However, that wasn't the case. This story is based on a true event. It highlights relationships with real people of the time. The elements that Harry Houdini, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle brought to the story were binding and intriguing. I found it refreshing that a successful movie could be produced without the elements of sex and dirty language. I would recommend it to the young and old alike. The filmography was wonderful. The scenes in England were beautiful. Costumes of the period were accurate. I give this movie two thumbs up!
Python Hyena
Fairy Tale: A True Story (1997): Dir: Charles Sturridge / Cast: Florence Hoath, Elizabeth Earl, Harvey Keitel, Peter O'Toole, Bill Nighy: Fascinating themes aimed at the wrong audience. It brings elements of fantasy and enters it into present day. Two girls get snap shots of fairies in the wilderness, which gives them unwanted media attention. Good concept with little information about the fairies. They do not appear until the end of the film, which may ruin it for its intended audience. Directed by Charles Sturridge who previously made Aria. He is backed with beautiful photography and visual elements. Florence Hoath and Elizabeth Earl make a fine pairing as two carefree girls who happen upon the extraordinary and are suddenly thrust into media spotlight. Unfortunately Harvey Keitel as Harry Houdini serves little purpose. One could say that the character references the magic or fantasy elements but in his own film the Houdini character would flourish. Here he is a bad distraction. Peter O'Toole also makes an appearance but he never makes an impact. The special effects are the sell and that element works well, particularly when the fairies finally make an appearance in all their glory. Theme of media manipulation allows the film a documentary appeal but since the film has more adult appeal than for children it leaves the biggest tale told by the filmmakers. Score: 6 / 10
Adrian Edwards
Like others writing here, I felt a bit cheated that the movie did not focus on the real "true story", which is certainly a better one for an adult audience. Perhaps it would not have had such a general appeal, and would have been less commercial. The notion that it was all a hoax, and yet true at the same time, seemed disingenuous. The story of how grief and loss in the years after the First World War led many to become self-deluded and consequently vulnerable to "psychic" charlatans is a very adult one. Houdini was a hero in the cause of stamping this shoddy business out. He was a champion of reason. I have no problems with films that alter and compress historical events for dramatic reasons, but this film actually negated the essence of the true story and wasted an opportunity. And we were deprived of the delicious final twist, when the surviving girl (by then an old lady) confessed all in the 1980s. The film was an enjoyable fantasy, and could have been presented as being "inspired by, but not based on" actual events (as were Citizen Kane and Personal Services). There is always going to be a problem with films based on true events, and in this case it seemed like a good story trashed.
david-sarkies
When I watched this movie I was so tired that I slept through a part of it and didn't take in much of the other but from what I saw and from listening to others I picked up enough to comment on it. From what I heard this movie is based on some photographs taken in 1915 of some fairies. The photos could not be proved that they were faked and baffled a lot of people. What this movie has done is made the fairies real so as to create a child's movie.The plot is very thin but it is about people believing in fairies. The end comes with everybody seeing the evidence of the existence of fairies and believing in them. The thing is that the fairies play very little part in this movie and it is more focused on the children. The fairies never speak and interact with the children very rarely.This also seems to be an excuse to parade famous identities in the movie. We have Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini as major characters in the movie and even show Houdini performing some of his escapes. Doyle is said to have written a book on fairies which my friend wanted to look for. He also said that the soundtrack was relaxing. They liked it but I slept and really had little interest in this movie. These fairies were the beautiful children fairies which I do not like, when it comes to fairies I like Faeries. What is the difference? Faeries are the more adult versions and appear in Mid-summer Night's Dream and Faerie Tale. These are much more vicious and hostile, especially Titania and Oberon in Midsummer Night's Dream. Those I love, Fairy Tale I don't. Oh well, each to his own.
AD
