MirrorMask

In the genre of fantasy films there have been, over the years, some hits and some misses, and then you have the ones that are a good idea but the true spirit of the story doesn't come out within the scope of the movie. Here that problem is tenfold, the idea behind the story is very good and heartwarming, but the fantasy part of the tale warps in a way that it's easy to lose the meaning that's trying to be conveyed. The man behind the story is the great Neil Gaiman who, with the help of the Jim Henson Company, tells an interesting tale about a young girl growing up in a life she doesn't appreciate. 15 year old Helena doesn't like the way her life is going, but when her mother falls ill she discovers that the fantasy world she has created with her drawings is as out of balance as her own life and she is the only one to put both back to normal. The CGI effects and the costumes are very well done, as the movie goes on you get used to the actors wearing the masks, they become just as common as the masks that we all wear in our every day lives. The young actress that plays Helena, Stephanie Leonidas, does an outstanding job when her character has to deal with the blending of reality and fantasy, and when she goes into her Anti-Helena role you see a complete transformation of the actress.
Unless you're really into fantasy films this movie isn't for you, but if you like films such as Time Bandits and Labyrinth you might enjoy this. With all the underlying themes throughout the film it's hard to keep track of what issues are actually being dealt with. I can't say that I'd rewatch film, not that I didn't enjoy it, it was thought provoking and stylish but after you've seen it once you've got the whole thing. But I will say this in the way of fantasy films about problems that young women deal with; this was a creative and artistic way of visualizing the issues.