*Full Disclosure: I have never read “The BFG” novel, so I went into this with no knowledge of the source material beyond browsing the Wikipedia entry.*
The BFG, other wise known as the Big Fuc…errr, I mean, Friendly Giant, is Steven Spielberg’s last collaboration with screenwriter Melissa Mathison, who helped him create E.T. So does this fairy tale measure up to the classic from 1982?
Well, yes and no. It’s a charming fairy tale of sorts that doesn’t seem to know who it’s appealing to. Simply put: Is this really a children’s film?
Young orphan Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) is whisked away to Giant Land by the Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance), where the two form a charming friendship. Sophie discovers that the BFG is an outcast among the other giants because he doesn’t eat children. The other giants, led by the towering Fleshlumpeater (Jermaine Clement) bully the smaller BFG and Sophie tries to come up with a plan to help him.
As soon as the BFG and Sophie have their first conversation, a smile came on my face that rarely disappeared. Grinning like an idiot in the dark theater, I couldn’t escape the two characters’ charm. And that’s the strength of this film: Charm.
Rylance’s BFG is full of that charm. Everything about him: His expressive face, weird speech patterns and general good heart just won me over. He is a literal gentle giant that you constantly route for. Essentially good characters can grate on me, but the character never gets old.
And Barnhill is also very good. Child actor performances can be pretty bad, but Spielberg can usually find the diamonds in the rough. There is a scene early when Sophie yells at a few drunks in the street and after that I knew she would be fine. Maybe I’m a sucker for British accented actors yelling “Oy!,”but that feisty charm never goes away.
The tone of the film brings the charm, no matter how outlandish the movie can get. There is a beautifully shot and acted scene involving the BFG’s job as a dream catcher that is amazing to watch. It’s quiet and powerful.
And then later in the third act, the movie takes a strange turn that took me completely by surprise (Again, I’m unfamiliar with the source material). But it works. It reminds me of the “T-Rex in San Diego” sequence from The Lost World: Jurassic Park but with one chief difference: Spielberg seems to go all in with this movie’s “over the top” sequence.
I believe that sequence in The Lost World, while really fun, felt a little conservative. It’s almost like Spielberg doesn’t completely buy into it. In The BFG, it feels like Spielberg goes all in. Maybe it’s because this plot turn is in the original material or maybe it’s the general tone of the movie, but it feels natural. And it’s just so fun, you buy into it.
There is also one dark plot thread that could have derailed the film’s narrative, but I believe it helps the film. It gives both Rylance and Barnhill some great material to work with. At the same time, this plot thread made me question the tone.
The screening I attended had a number of kids there. While I could tell they enjoyed it, they weren’t buzzing like I thought they would. Most of the buzz I felt came from the other people there were adults.
I am a huge Spielberg fan. I grew up absolutely loving his films; he’s the reason I wanted to make films. All of his films have phases: Early, young Spielberg is very different from older, more mature Spielberg. While The BFG is along the lines of E.T., it’s also a product of the mature Spielberg.
This seems to be a film made for the Spielberg fan. It’s almost like he made this film for the ones who grew up with him, following him through the ups and downs of his career. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. But it may not be the best film for children or even people who aren’t big Spielberg fans.
But then again, if you’re not a Spielberg fan, you are terrible and hate fun.
Score: 7.5 out of 10