The BFG

The talents of three of the world’s greatest storytellers – Roald Dahl, Walt Disney and Steven Spielberg –
finally unite to bring Dahl’s beloved classic “The BFG” to life. Directed by Spielberg, Disney’s “The BFG” tells the imaginative story of a young girl and the Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country. The BFG (Mark Rylance), while a giant himself, is a Big Friendly Giant and nothing like the other inhabitants of Giant Country. Standing 24-feet tall with enormous ears and a keen sense of smell, he is endearingly dim-witted and keeps to himself for the most part. Giants like Bloodbottler (Bill Hader) and Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement) on the other hand, are twice as big and at least twice as scary and have been known to eat humans, while the BFG prefers Snozzcumber and Frobscottle. Upon her arrival in Giant Country, Sophie, a precocious 10-year-old girl from London, is initially frightened of the mysterious giant who has brought her to his cave, but soon comes to realize that the BFG is actually quite gentle and charming, and, having never met a giant before, has many questions. The BFG brings Sophie to Dream Country where he collects dreams and sends them to children, teaching her all about the magic and mystery of dreams. Having both been on their own in the world up until now, their affection for one another quickly grows, but Sophie’s presence in Giant Country has attracted the unwanted attention of the other giants, who have become increasingly more bothersome. Sophie and the BFG soon depart for London to see the Queen (Penelope Wilton) and warn her of the precarious giant situation, but they must first convince the Queen and her maid, Mary (Rebecca Hall), that giants do indeed exist. Together, they come up with a plan to get rid of the giants once and for all.

Review by Nara

One of my childhood favourite authors, and probably on the list of many people's childhood favourite authors, is Roald Dahl. From Matilda and George's Marvelous Medicine to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Witches, there aren't many Dahl books that don't hold a special spot on my favourite children's books. And The BFG is no exception.

The BFG film, I'm glad to report, certainly lives up to the expectations brought by the book. It's a very faithful adaptation, with some additions which are fantastic and remain true to the story. The film, of course, can also be enjoyed without having read the book, and is likely geared more towards a younger audience. The story is relatively simplistic and there are a fair few jokes thrown in that would delight any child. That being said, watching it as an adult was definitely still enjoyable- the acting and the cinematography were excellent.

Mark Rylance is pretty fantastic as The BFG, although a couple of times I had a bit of trouble deciphering what exactly he was saying, with the accent and The BFG's unique way of speaking. And 11 year old Ruby Barnhill is fabulous as Sophie; certainly not losing to any of the other veterans on the acting front.

If you like Roald Dahl's books to any degree, I would definitely recommend you go see this film. And if you're a fan of magical tales with incredible cinematography and wonderful acting, you should probably be lining up to go see it too.

The BFG is released in cinemas in Australia on June 30.

Check out the trailer below.

Really liked it

Ratings
Overall: 8/10
Plot: 4/5
Cinematography: 5/5
Characters: 4/5

Thanks to Natasha Louise Enterprises for the invitation to the advanced screening!