
The Book of Life
2014

There's been a grave misunderstanding.
In a 19th-century European village, a young man about to be married is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious corpse bride, while his real bride waits bereft in the land of the living.

In a 19th-century European village, a young man about to be married is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious corpse bride, while his real bride waits bereft in the land of the living.
Johnny DeppVictor Van Dort (voice)
Helena Bonham CarterCorpse Bride (voice)
Emily WatsonVictoria Everglot (voice)
Tracey UllmanNell Van Dort / Hildegarde (voice)
Paul WhitehouseWilliam Van Dort / Mayhew / Paul the Head Waiter (voice)
Joanna LumleyMaudeline Everglot (voice)
Albert FinneyFinis Everglot (voice)
Richard E. GrantBarkis Bittern (voice)
Christopher LeePastor Galswells (voice)
Michael GoughElder Gutknecht (voice)
Jane HorrocksBlack Widow Spider / Mrs. Plum (voice)
Enn ReitelMaggot / Town Crier (voice)
Deep RoyGeneral Bonesapart (voice)
Danny ElfmanBonejangles (voice)
Stephen BallantyneEmil (voice)
Lisa KaySolemn Village Boy (voice)













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The “Van Dort” family have the name but no cash, the “Everglot” family are the nouveau-riche sort who crave respectability and so when needs must, they arrange a mutually beneficial marriage between “Victor” and “Victoria” - perhaps Dame Julie Andrews might sing at the wedding? Well, before we even get that far, the young “Victor” finds his wedding rehearsal in the dark forest sees him unwittingly betrothed to someone altogether bonier, and she is determined to hold onto her new man. Now ensconced in the underworld with an whole new batch of friends, he has to find a solution that will placate his new “bride” whilst getting him back to the land of the living and a beloved who thinks he has just abandoned her. What are the chances, or might he even start to fall in love with his new spouse instead? This is Tim Burton at his best, with some cracking stop-motion animation delivering, at quite a hectic pace, a really fun story of life (or death), love and the pursuit of happiness. The quirky attention to the detail of big eyes and waif-like bodies is worthy of Ray Harryhausen and Danny Elfman’s score imbues these characters with a modicum of mischief, menace and even malevolence - even if much of that latter element comes from the imposing vicar - to complement the story really engagingly. Eighty minutes just flies by and though I didn’t really like the ending, it’s still a classy production to watch.

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