SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

The visual effects category could be a tough egg to crack this year. With such amazing films falling into the category this year, it could be a tough call for all the films involved. Creating something from nothing is an art in itself and any film that can do so effectively and throughout an entire film, is something to be acclaimed. “Snow White and the Huntsman” is no exception.

Said to have been story first, visual effects second, the story wasn’t built around these effects, and instead were derived naturally from the story Rupert Sanders wanted to tell. The visual effects are initially what attracted me to seeing this film and I was blown away after my first viewing. The milk bath, the mirror that can turn to silk, the queen becoming a slew of crows, and the list goes on of all the achievements this film makes.

Another astonishing fact is that for most of the visual effects team, this is their first Academy Award nomination, except for Neil Corbould, who was nominated twice, once for “Gladiator” (2000) to which he won, and “Superman Returns” (2006). That being said, this would be a great first win for the rest of the team, with its major competition coming from “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and “The Avengers” in my opinion, although a case could be made for “Life Of Pi” as well.

Regardless of who takes the ultimate prize this year in the visual effects category, it is hard to find a film that does more for its source material than “Snow White and the Huntsman”, which breathes new life into an old fairytale. Without the ingenuity in visual effects this film would not have made as big of an impact.

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN
BEST COSTUME DESIGN

If you’re Colleen Atwood, you’re feeling pretty good about your chances come the night of the Oscars. Raking in her tenth nomination for Best Costume Design, Atwood has won three previous Academy Awards for her work on “Chicago” (2002)(which also won Best Picture that year), “Memoirs Of A Geisha” (2005), and “Alice In Wonderland” (2009). To slightly help her chances this year, “Snow White and the Huntsman” is from the same producers as “Alice In Wonderland”.

Heavy on dress design for the queen, Atwood displays her supreme skill for fantasy costume design with ease, becoming some of the most memorable portions of the film, including designs that smartly match the themes of the characters and the story, with many dresses made of feathers, like the crow feather dress than became iconic for the Queen character. That, and the bird skull dress that is my personal favorite. Although Snow White’s wardrobe is rather sparse, with only one main dress throughout most of the film, the Huntsman and dwarves are also excellently attired.

Costume Design is a tough category to nail down this year as well, with three period pieces and two fantasy films, there’s no clear winner in any of them. “Lincoln” could pull ahead, being the most nominated film in the bunch. But if we look to direct competitor “Mirror Mirror”, it could still be a tough call, as each character has multiple dresses, while “Snow White and the Huntsman” really only varies the Queen’s attire.

REVIEW

Any film that can even remotely make me forget Kristen Stewart’s past discrepancies is doing something right. With a solid script, impeccable visual effects, and a commendable showing from all the cast members involved, especially Chris Hemsworth, Snow White and the Huntsman delivers on almost all levels. Charlize Theron is showstopping, unabashed by playing ugly, yet completely breathtaking as the “fairest of them all”. I never felt cheated (Stewart even pulls off the accent) and was always entertained; two signs of a successful adaptation.

// Produced by Sam Mercer, Palak Patel, & Joe Roth // Directed by Rupert Sanders // Visual Effects: Neil Corbould, Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Philip Brennan and Michael Dawson // Costume Design: Colleen Atwood //

// Dated Viewed: Saturday, January 19th, 2013 // BLU-RAY //  27 films – 37 days //