| Worth seeing: | for Jim Carrey's scene-stealing performance in a dark and sinister adaptation of the Lemony Snicket books |
| Director: | Brad Silberling |
| Featuring: | Jim Carrey, Billy Connolly, Catherine O’Hara, Craig Ferguson, Emily Browning, Jane Adams, Jennifer Coolidge, Jude Law, Liam Aiken, Luis Guzman, Meryl Streep, Timothy Spall |
| Length: | 108 minutes |
| Certificate: | PG |
| Country: | Germany, US |
| Released: | 17th December 2004 |
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
The story begins when the three Baudelaire children are suddenly told that their parents have just perished in a fire that destroyed their home.
The orphans are sent to live with a number of guardians, the first being the evil Count Olaf (Carrey) who is determined to get his hands on their fortune.
To this end he follows them to each of their new homes.
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
It looks dark and sinister, capturing the spirit of Lemony Snicket’s books, which have sold more than 27 million copies worldwide.
But ardent fans might not approve of the way the order of events has been changed.
And it’s not for very young kids – it’ll scare them.
Carrey was born to play the evil Count Olaf in all his guises and steals the show.
Liam Aiken and Emily Browning are well cast as the older Baudelaire siblings, while you only hear Jude Law as Lemony Snicket as he appears in silhouette, maintaining the author’s mystery and anonymity.
The credits are inspired and worth sitting through.