A little over produced, but what a wonderful tale for all ages!

Rating: 7/10 (29 September 2014)

I really enjoyed this movie for what it was; a fairy tale that portrays the power of the cinema. It is a film in the spirit of the book "The Christmas Train". I did feel that the production was a little too polished, or over produced,in that even dirty Uncle Claude wore "clean" dirt, and there wasn't a piece of garbage to be seen on the streets or the train station. That being said, Ben Kingsley really does play the part of Georges impeccably. His make up is fantastic. The actors are somewhat over dramatic, but this is a romantic tale that somewhat reminds me of "Big Fish" in that the story is so over the top that as a viewer, you are willing to put up with some (almost) overacting. It was interesting to watch it with a group of teens, because none of them thought it was "cheesy", or childish, something I thought they might. I think I was the most cynical viewer in the audience going in, but by the end, I too was taken over by the magic of the film, and the love that Georges has for film. The sub plots of the kindling romance between the station inspector (well played by Sacha Baron Cohen) and the flower girl, amongst others, were a nice touch. What I feel really made this a winner in my books was the way it incorporated so many classic pieces of film (scenes from "The General", "Safety Last" amongst others.) I teach a high school film and TV class and we will be dissecting this film and referencing all the clips of archival footage to gain a better understanding of how films such as "Modern Times"are still relevant today. I want my students to appreciate how many nods to the classics there are in this film. Should be fun! Did anyone else feel the automaton was a nod to "Metropolis"?