A five star story

Stardust is a 2007 fantasy movie starring Claire Danes, Charlie Cox and Michelle Pfeiffer, directed by Matthew Vaughn.

There is not much to be said about the movie: the plot is simple yet perfectly fluid and functional and the fantasy and fantastical elements, such as magic and witches, feel on point. The lore is appealing as it envisions a world ruled by its own laws that make the movie feel thought through.  

There are many cases where the action and crescendo moments intertwine with comical sketches or witty jokes; these however, unlike other such cases, do not feel forced and find an impeccable balance with the story. These humorous reliefs hit the mark for a fantasy movie made for children.

Although there are several actors that carry their importance in the cinematographic world and that have only a minor part in this movie such as Rupert Everett, Peter O’toole and Ricky Gervais, the spotlight is unquestionably taken by Robert De Niro. De Niro plays the role of outwardly ruthless and flamboyant yet inwardly “refined” sky-pirate with a sense for fashion (I cannot even believe the sentence I just wrote); not only is his character called Shakespeare, but he also leads his crew while they “catch” or “fish” for lighting. There is a certain enchanting appeal in this.

There remains something to be said about the musical score of the movie: Ilan Eshkeri composes pieces that interlace perfectly with the action-packed sequences. Although not as famous as other acclaimed composers such as Zimmer, Glass or Williams, I think that his personal touch is well suited for Stardust; the crescendos of the music build-up to the culminating points hand in hand with the unraveling plot-points.

I would give this movie a 7 out of 10 “such stuff as dreams are made on”.