The densely worked-over look of this dark, hugely stylish fairy tale directed by mixed-media artist and first-time filmmaker Dave McKean is ultimately more absorbing than the story, cowritten by McKean and cult author Neil Gaiman, and heavily indebted to L. Frank Baum's
Oz stories, LABYRINTH (1986) and Lewis Carroll's
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Sullen 15-year-old Helena Campbell (Stephanie Leonidas) performs as a juggler with her parents' avant-garde circus and hates it; she wants nothing more than to run away to the ordinary world and finds refuge in drawing elaborate fantasy buildings, landscapes and creatures, papering the walls of her trailer...
Released:
2005
Rated:
PG
Length:
101 mins