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Oscar Snubs Woods - Really?

Oscar Snubs Woods - Really?

Mark Robinson
Cinematters

This entry is probably not going to be a popular one, but since it's topic is timely and relates to musicals, I feel compelled to address it: the alleged "snubbing" of Into the Woods for a "Best Picture" Oscar nomination.

I am a bit surprised at the number of people who are acting like it should have been a foregone conclusion that Into the Woods would receive one of these coveted slots. It is true that, had a film of Into the Woods added up to something spectacular that it could have received an Oscar nod. The ingredients were there, but the editing of important content, the caricature notions of would-be character development, and the lack of unique visual storytelling with the camera made it a good film, but not the great film that it should have been. 

Into the Woods - Film Review - Magic Beans Have Expiration Dates

Into the Woods - Film Review - Magic Beans Have Expiration Dates

Mark Robinson
Stage To Screen, Cinematters

I must preface this review by making my readership aware of my deep love affair with the stage musical of Into the Woods. James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim constructed a piece of theatre that was very personal for me and, through myriad viewings of the original Broadway cast, the show has become, not only an emotional outlet for me, but an important influence in how I view and respond to the world. 

It is with a heavy heart, then, that I left the movie theatre this Christmas Day feeling like I was given a very uneven film treatment of Into the Woods. There is a tremendous amount to admire, but there is also a tremendous amount to disappoint. Director Rob Marshall and screenwriter Lapine, in fits and starts, have crafted an Into the Woods that is streamlined and spare, having excised much of the piece's humor, heart, and gravitas in an effort to keep the film moving.