Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Red Riding Hood

 Released Year: 2011
Directed by Catherine Hardwicke

Casted by:
 Amanda Seyfried as Valerie 
Shiloh Fernandez as Peter 
Max Irons as Henry Lazar
Billy Burke as Cesaire
Julie Christie as Grandmother
Gary Oldman as Father Solomon
 Story:
 Valerie is a young woman who lives in the village of Daggerhorn, on the edge of a forest plagued by a werewolf, with her parents, Cesaireand Suzette. She is in love with the woodcutter Peter, but her parents have arranged for her to marry Henry Lazar, son of the wealthy blacksmith Adrian Lazar. Valerie and Peter plan to run away together, only to learn that the Wolf has broken its truce not to prey on the townspeople in exchange for cattlestock sacrifices and has murdered Valerie's older sister, Lucie, whom Valerie discovers was the illegitimate daughter of Adrian, with whom Suzette had an extra-marital affair. It is also revealed that Lucie had a crush on Henry.

Father August, the local preacher, calls the famous witch hunter Father Solomon to help them, but the townspeople decide to venture into the Wolf's lair to destroy it. There they divide into groups, with one consisted of Peter, Henry and Adrian. Peter separates from them moments before the Wolf attacks and murders Adrian. However, it is cornered by the men and killed.

The following day, as the people celebrate, Father Solomon arrives and reveals that, had they killed the Wolf, it would have returned to its human form, and what they slew was a common grey wolf. He also reveals that they've entered the Blood Moon Week, an event that happens every 13 years, in which whoever is bitten by the Wolf is cursed to become one as well. Father Solomon's men, led by The Captain, isolate Daggerhorn and begin to investigate its people in search of the wolf.

That night, during a celebration, the Wolf attacks and, while the townspeople rush to the Church (as the wolf is unable to step into holy ground), Valerie and her friend Roxanne venture in the village alone to search for Roxanne's autistic brother, Claude but are cornered by the creature, which telepathically communicates with Valerie and threatens to kill Roxanne and destroy the village if Valerie doesn't leave with it. The Wolf then escapes, vowing to return to learn Valerie's decision. During the encounter, Valerie notes that the Wolf has brown human eyes.

The following day, Claude is captured by Father Solomon's men. Having witnessed Claude performing a card trick earlier, Father Solomon claims he's a student of the dark arts and attempts to force the frightned Claude to reveal the Wolf's identity. When Claude is unable to do so, Father Solomon locks him up in a brazen bull. Roxanne reveals that Valerie is able to communicate with the Wolf in exchange for Claude's release, but he is already dead by the time the Captain opens the bull.

Believing Valerie to be a witch, Father Solomon has her captured and displayed at the town's square in order to lure the Wolf out so he can kill it. Henry and Peter, however, join forces and help Valerie to escape. However, Peter is captured by the Captain and thrown into the brazen bull, while Father Solomon orders Henry to be killed for helping Valerie. Father Auguste saves Henry and is then killed by Father Solomon.

Henry takes Valerie to the church, but they are attacked by the Wolf, who bites off Father Solomon's hand, which contains silver-coated fingernails. The townspeople, especially Valerie's friends, shield her from the Wolf, who is once again forced to flee. Valerie is taken to the hospital, where she becomes convinced that the Wolf is her Grandmother, who lives in a cabin in the nearby woods. Meanwhile, Father Solomon, having also been cursed, is killed by Captain, who earlier had his brother killed by Father Solomon after being bitten.

After retrieving Father Solomon's hand, Valerie rushes to her Grandmother's cabin, but is confronted on the way by Peter. Noticing that his hand is burned in the same place where the Wolf burned its paw trying to enter the church, Valerie assumes Peter is the Wolf and stabs him.

Arriving at Grandmother's house, Valerie is horrified to find her dead, and learns that the Wolf is her father, Cesaire. He reveals that the curse was passed to him by his father, and he intented to pass it on to his firstborn, Lucie. However, upon confronting her, he couldn't communicate with her, and, realizing she was not his daughter, murdered her in a fit of rage. He then took revenge against Adrian, his wife's lover, and now wants Valerie to accept the curse and become like him. Valerie refuses, just as Peter appears and confronts Cesaire, who bites Peter. Valerie stabs Cesaire to death with Father Solomon's hand, and dumps the body in the river with Peter's help.

Peter departs in order to learn how to control his curse, vowing to return only when he's able to ensure Valerie's safety. Valerie then moves to her grandmother's house, leaving her old life behind, and finally reunites with Peter several years later, when he returns, now the new Wolf.
L² Scored: 8/10

L² Comment:
This is quite a good movie i should say, i love the way they amend our folk tales with a little bit of excitement and romance into it. Of course, i think everyone expected the production team will change the big grey wolf into a werewolf as it brings more dark fantasy to the audience. But i don't understand why Leonardo Di Carpio (the producer) chose Amanda Seyfried as the red riding hood. I fucking hate her :P

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