Film Review: Julia Roberts Reflects on Snow White in ‘Mirror Mirror’

Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 30, 2012 - 1:37pm

CHICAGO – Since I know I’m the fairest of them all, I won’t focus on the symbolic impressions of ‘Mirror Mirror.’ This is the Snow White legend based on the original story by the Brothers Grimm, and includes Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie Hammer and Nathan Lane in its cast.

Rating: 3.0/5.0

It was a lovingly delivered film, full of fairy tale production design, amusing asides by Nathan Lane, a princely performance by Armie Hammer and America’s-Sweetheart-Gone-Bad Julia Roberts. What it lacked in that delivery was a spark of energy, and preferred launching easy gags instead of going darker. It’s not that the film is disappointing, it’s just that by the end there is a feeling of something missing, or a wish that the whole film could have been as good as its sporadic best moments.

Th film is not the Disney Snow White familiarity, it is based on the grittier multi-layered story by Jacob and Wilheim Grimm. In a kingdom far far away is a happy land where the King (Sean Bean) dotes on his only daughter, Snow White (Lily Collins), especially since her mother has passed away. But he does eventually remarry and Queen Clementianna (Julia Roberts) ascends to the throne. When the king mysteriously disappears, the castle is left to a now 18 year-old Snow White, the evil queen and a sycophantic attendant named Brighton (Nathan Lane). The once happy kingdom falls to misery.

The queen has her famous mirror, and middle age is threatening her “fairest in the land” title. Meanwhile, Snow White is venturing outside the castle walls for the first time, and meets the errant Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer), who has been robbed by seven small men. Snow takes him back to the castle, and there the queen decides to marry him. But the prince’s ardor focuses only on Snow White, so the jealous queen banishes the girl to the cold forest. The seven “dwarfs” adopt her, and prepares her to battle for her love, the throne and the kingdom.

“Mirror Mirror” opens everywhere on March 30th. Featuring Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie Hammer, Nathan Lane, Mare Winningham and Michael Lerner. Screenplay adapted by Melissa Wallack and Jason Keller. Directed by Tarsem Singh. Rated “PG-13”