INTO THE WOODS (2014/IN THEATERS) 
Ever get a song stuck in your head for days on end? True confessions. I’ve already seen this film three times in the theater! That’s in part because its songs are ringing in my ears every morning and also because I’ve been convincing friends to see it on the big screen rather than wait for the DVD. More confessions. Unlike millions of other people, I hadn’t seen Stephen Sondheim‘s 1987 musical on any stage, or been part of some high school production of it (!), so the movie for me was quite the revelation. First off, the idea of a Grimm’s fairy tale “mash-up” is seriously brilliant and add to that lyrics which are beyond clever– funny and poignant at the same time. Plus the music! So haunting. And topping it all, a company of wonderful actors who can not only bring the story to life on screen but can really sing as well–who knew. I’m sure you’ve seen the previews, so you already know that Meryl Streep is the witch who has cast a spell on the baker and his wife (James Corden and Emily Blunt), rendering them childless. To break the spell, they have three midnights to gather up four items familiar to anyone who has ever read a fairytale: “a cape as red as blood, a cow as white as milk, hair as yellow as corn, and a shoe as pure as gold.” Enter Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) and her Charming Price (Chris Pine) plus her evil Stepmother (Christine Baranski), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) and the wolf (Johnny Depp), Jack of beanstalk fame (Daniel Huttlestone) and his mother (Tracey Ullman), and Rapunzel and her prince ( Mackenzie Mauzy and Billy Magnussen). Director Rob Marshall creates a musical that really works on-screen–not an easy task. The film has rightfully earned Oscar nominations for Costume Design (Colleen Atwood) and Production Design, as well as the usual nod to Meryl Streep. If you’ve been waiting to see it, I urge you to head to the theater, if for no other reason than to witness Chris Pine and Bill Magnussen perform their big song “Agony”—it’s worth every penny!
Grade: A-
P.S. Your first viewing may find the last third of the film dark and jarring—you’ve been warned. On stage, according to what I’ve read, that last third is in fact the second act (following an intermission) and the passage of time is better explained with an additional opening song.
