A Better Button
It's amazing what one more "D" can do
If you've listened to our inagural podcast, and of course you have, you will remember that my thoughts on the not-so-Oscar-worthy Case of Backward Aging didn't exactly leave a glimmering shine on the use of buttons in cinema. Thankfully, and before I had sworn pure allegiance to zippers, another film has reaffirmed my belief in the archaic little trouser-fasteners. With all the creepiness of a Tim Burton movie and little magic in the 3rd dimension, Henry Selick has managed to stitch together a perfectly charming and deftly disturbing take on Neil Gaiman's looking-glass inspired fairy tale, Coraline. While the story itself isn't without its loose threads, its whimsical and simplistic themes meshed with Selick's unique animation style and art aestheic make it an engaging and surprisingly adult friendly venture through a knitted world of talking cats and buttoned eyes. And if nothing else, consider it Dakota Fanning's premeditated apology for Push.
Dustin Anglin