The Secret of Moonacre

 

 

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A unicorn, an ancient curse, magical pearls, a blood feud, a forest haunted by bandits, and a bit of "Romeo and Juliet" romance (without the suicide). "The Secret of Moonacre" is something of a modern fairy tale, and Gabor Csupo films it in the style is deserves -- a lush, exquisitely magical little tale full of magic.

When her father dies, Maria Merrywether (Dakota Blue Richards) discovers that his debts have left her penniless -- all she inherits is a storybook about the Moon Princess and her magical pearls.

She and her governess are sent to live with Sir Benjamin Merryweather (Ioan Gruffudd), her grumpy uncle who lives in a vast decaying mansion. But soon Maria begins to realize that something strange is afoot -- it turns out the story of the Moon Pearls is true, and a strange young woman named Loveday (Natascha McElhone) warns her of what will happen in just a few days.

And along the way, she discovers that the Merryweathers and the bandit clan called the De Noirs have been at war over the pearls for centuries. However, the only way that Maria can find the pearls is by enlisting the help of Robin De Noir (Augustus Prew) -- and if she doesn't succeed, the entire valley of Moonacre will be destroyed.

"The Secret of Moonacre" is loosely based on Elizabeth Goudge's classic fantasy novel "The Little White Horse," although they take some hefty liberties in the name of drama. However, it's still a lovely little movie with a distinctly British flavor, as well as a mixture of wide-eyed optimism and the usual stuff about pride, getting along, love overcoming all, and so on.

The script is a mixed bag -- the dialogue has moments of banality ("It is not the pearls but the greed in our hearts which brings us this misery"), but also some enchanting humour ("How can I possibly go to live in the country? It's full of... the countryside!"). And a small warning: the De Noirs look like refugees from "A Clockwork Orange."

But the movie is worth getting if nothing else for the sets and scenery. Director Gabor Csupo paints the entire movie with lush magical forests, a bandit citadel with a dungeon, a bedroom with murals and a sea-bed, dusty old libraries and an overgrown kitchen where an elfin cook bounces around like a Lewis Carroll character. Nearly every scene looks like a pre-Raphaelite painting, and Csupo milks it of every ounce of fairy-tale beauty and magic.

And though this is only her second movie, Dakota Blue Richards easily takes center stage and gives a gutsy flair to her ladylike character. Gruffudd and McElhone are quite good as the grumpy aristocrat and the pretty hermit, and Tim Curry is sneeringly nasty as Coeur De Noir (although he seems totally lost in the last scene).

"The Secret of Moonacre" has some flaws, but it's still a charming little fairytale that enchants the senses and makes you feel warm'n'fuzzy. A lovely little treat.

I enjoyed this movie and so did my Grand kids. It is worth a buy. It has a lot of good versus evil and ends up with a smile. Worth a look.

I watched this movie with my 9 year old niece and we both enjoyed it. The sets and the costumes are superb, and the story is solid. Dakota Richards does a great job as the heroine in this film. Great movie for kids.

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