Today when we watch the latest given to us by Disney, it is easy to become a bit jaded with how self aware they have become with their projects. As if we are all part of a joke where the company makes light fun of their well oiled machine of sugary fairytale goodness. I mean, you can hardly watch anything from them without spotting a slew of easter eggs they have planted, as winks to past films and characters.
It can be a bit overdone, but there was a time when such things were more of a quaint novelty. None more so than with 2007’s Enchanted. A live action fairytale, that has plenty of tongue-in-cheek nods to Disney’s well stocked library. And also an original story, which is refreshing to think of retroactively in the light of their present love of remakes and sequels.
Enchanted is an interesting. And unique film to come from Disney, as it can both be looked at as a love letter to them, as well as a satirical parody of their image. But even the very subtle jabs are done in a well loved way, as to not be seen as harsh or abrasive to the Disney image as a whole. It should also be noted that after Disney’s early 2000s choice to move strictly to computer based animation, it is a delight to see traditional two-dimensional cell animation used here.
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A rarity then, as it is now. And a true treat for those of us who love that certain charm and artistry you can only get from traditional animation. The animated sequences are balanced properly here, with beautifully done scenes bookending the film with the live action in-between. This, of course, is combined with subtle uses of computer animation, which all these separate elements combined give us a rich and beautiful film to watch.
We enter this story in the fictional fairytale world, known as Andalasia. Where Giselle (Amy Adams) dreams of the day when she will meet her one true love. In typical Disney fashion, her dreams of romance and happily ever after are set to song, with the accompaniment of all her beloved animal friends. As her animal brood come in around her, with plenty of questions on this matter, she breaks out into the song of “True Love’s Kiss”.
This scene very much evokes the feel and tone of the “Once Upon a Dream” scene in Sleeping Beauty (1959). Not far off, Prince Edward (James Marsden), just so happens to hear the wistful words, and breaks out into song as well. With the need to find the girl who has touched him so. But naturally, things are never so easy. As the evil Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) will not tolerate any love nonsense for her step-son. Coming to the queen’s help in going about this is the bumbling Nathaniel (Timothy Spall), who is failing miserably at his task to distract the prince from such folly.
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Knowing what may befall him should he fail in her bidding, Nathaniel releases a troll to kill the young woman, before the lovestruck Prince Edward can reach her. For now, though, the meddling fails. And Edward comes to Giselle’s aid as she falls from a tree branch straight into his arms. As these things go, they gaze lovingly into each other’s eyes, and together finish the duet of their song. Such things making them know for sure that they must be wed soon, and by that meaning the very next day.
But before the wedding can commence, the Queen manages to lure Giselle away in all her bridal glory. To a well that will take her far away to a world where there are no happily ever afters to be had. Giselle goes tumbling down in a voluminous cloud of silk and tulle. And the place in question is New York City, which is where our story truly begins.
To someone like Giselle, the bustling, loud and chaotic landscape of New York City is at first extremely abrasive, and the complete opposite of quaint Andalasia. We may have wondered as children how our favorite Disney characters would fare in the real world. And Enchanted does a wonderful job of bringing that thought to life.
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The cranky and tired mob of city dwellers could care less about Giselle and her ramblings. Especially if they should interfere in their commute home. She is used to the kindness and gentility. We can’t help but feel sorry for her as she gets pushed around, and misunderstood, when all she wants is just a little help. Help comes along in the first fleshed out characters of the real world we meet. In the form of cynical divorce lawyer, Robert (Patrick Dempsey), and his shy young daughter, Morgan (Rachel Covey).
Giselle’s arrival into their routine life is jarring to say the least, as she brings a touch of her world into theirs. These fantastical things, such as singing a song to bring animal friends to aid in cleaning the apartment (being the big apple these include rats, pigeons, flies and cockroaches), are a wonder to wide eyed Morgan, and a nightmare to Robert. Giselle does not see anything wrong in these displays, and we can soon see Robert being charmed by her relative naivety.
Things, though, are not helped with the fact that his girlfriend and probable future finance, Nancy (Indina Menzel), is not too keen on this woman staying with them. What is a bit refreshing here is the fact that they don’t paint Nancy as the bitter girlfriend who gets rejected in the end, and gets turned into nothing more than a throwaway caricature. Instead, as the movie progresses we, as the viewer, see that her and Robert just aren’t meant to be. And that’s okay.
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The line between the fairytale world and the real world begin to blur even more, as Giselle’s chipmunk friend Pip makes Prince Edward aware of her disappearance. The two make the jump to our world with Nathaniel in hot pursuit, to keep the two lovers from reuniting. Once in New York City, it is apparent that a few things that made life simple in their world are no longer available to them. Most notably, Pip losing access to his speaking voice, and not being able to communicate to Edward that Nathaniel cannot be trusted.
Giselle being a fish out of water in this odd new world, spends the day with Robert. And their time together seems to have an effect on both of them. With Robert, we see Giselle become a little more self aware, and question the status quo of what her life in Andalasia means. With Giselle, we see Robert loosen up a bit, and look at the world around him with more forgiving eyes.
Even though she vows to try and help Robert win back Nancy’s affections, it is easy to see that the two of them are the ones who should truly end up together. Along with the fact that Giselle seamlessly bonds with Morgan in a way that Robert sees as wonderful. Given his worries of what not having a mother figure may have on her in the long run.
After just a short time spent together, we see the new people they have become, with the best of each other’s influence on one another. This is especially true when Prince Edward finally arrives. Giselle, who once wanted nothing more than the idealized future she imagined, is now disappointed to see him.
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Going against what she once believed, she insists to Edward that they go on a proper date before they wed. After Robert informed her that is what all couples engage in before even considering marriage. But the innocent romantic encounter they shared is gone. And Giselle knows this even though Prince Edward is a bit too dense to see it. Which we can’t help but pity in him.
Things come to a climax at the King and Queen’s Costume Ball, where Edward and Giselle end up after their date, and where Robert and Nancy already are. As the two couples converge, it is impossible to not feel sorry for Edward and Nancy, as we again witness the true connection between Giselle and Robert.
This painted to us even more clearly with a grandiose and romantic dance shared between the two. Before they part, for what they believe to be the final time. Leaving the ball, as all the couples decked out in period appropriate regal attire dance in and out of our view, we see one final glance from Giselle, as she seems to yearn for one final glance from Robert.
This is interrupted, though, by the sudden appearance of the Queen. Who has come after Nathaniel failed multiple times in killing Giselle. Smugly grinning as a forlorn Giselle takes one bite of her poisoned apple, she relishes in momentary victory. Only for it to be taken away by a true love’s kiss. Turning the tables on what we are accustomed to in such stories, Giselle becomes the one to save Robert.
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Sticking with a usual happy and cheerful manner familiar to us in Disney media, everything gets tied up perfectly in a neat little package. Practically every character we meet, excluding the Queen, gets their own individually tailored happily ever after. Being a bit of a parody, it may be easy to look at this a little cynically. But, like Robert, I believe it is best for us to just sit back and take all this at face value. Just enjoy this little chunk of fantasy, in a world in which we don’t get a lot of that.
You can’t talk about Enchanted without touching on the wonderful performances. Most notably by Amy Adams. Personally, I feel that James Marsden steals the show from Patrick Dempsey, even though the latter gets the girl in the end. To me, Dempsey was adequately fine, but just a tad bit wooden in parts. Although these are minor critiques.
Amy Adams wonderfully commits to the slightly ditzy Giselle, with an awareness that adds dimension to the character, so that we laugh with the character instead of at her. The comedic layers she adds is very seamless and natural, that fits perfectly. Giving us a character that is sincere and open to growth. If anyone has any doubts about Adam’s talent, I would recommend they take a reevaluation of such a poor opinion.
Enchanted is charming and escapism in the purest sense of the word. It is a film that both captures the innocent wonder we had as children watching Disney films, but caters to the adults we have become, who can look at these tropes with a little humor. Telling us that we don’t have to say goodbye to all the magic we once knew, but can enjoy it in a different way with more mature eyes.
