Quentin Blake's Illustrations Become Larger Than Life in BFG

*This review will contain spoilers for BFG

I remember hearing about this film last year, and being cautiously hopeful. The visuals looked nice, and the character of BFG seemed to be true to the concepts from the book.

Little did I know how impressive this film would be...

First, I want to address the visual adaptation of the book. The original contained small illustrations, created by Quentin Blake, to help a child envision the world of the story. Some examples of these are pictured her:

 

These are stunning visuals, and are very well drawn. I am very happy to say that the creators of this film captured these perfectly, from Sophie to the brothers to the BFG and his job, everything captures the whimsical nature of the story.

I have very mixed opinions about child actors. I have seen great performances, like McCaully Culkin in Home Alone, and very weak work, such as the Baudelaire orphans in the film version of A Series of Unfortunate Events. That being said, I am amazed by the performance by Ruby Barnhill. This actress knows what she is saying and how best to say it. In fact, that goes for everybody in the cast, especially the BFG himself, Mark Rylance. For those of you who haven't read or seen the BFG, he doesn't always speak correctly, oftentimes mispronouncing a word or using the wrong word entirely. Rylance truly commits to these mistakes, genuinely believing he is saying the right word. Staying present in those moments makes the character even more innocent, further distinguishing himself from his brothers. There is even a nod to another Dahl novel and film during the brunch scene. Let me know in the comments if you can spot it.

One change I did prefer from the novel was the imprisonment of the brothers. Rather than locking them in a hole and putting them on display, they trap them on an island with nothing but snozcumber seeds to grow and eat. This gives a less intense image, and shows the justice a little better, in my opinion.

I also have to commend the entire team that worked on the Brunch Scene with the Queen. I haven't enjoyed a fart joke as much as when the BFG serves everybody Frobscottle. I will let you see for yourself the effect earlier in the film, but let's just say there are three corgis that drink a very large amount of the fizzy drink.

Every camera shot and edit in this picture creates a sense of wonder and beauty. My favorite cinematography moment in the entire film is when they go to collect dreams to give to children. The visuals flow together so majestically that one has to be impressed.

The film as a whole is perfect for a family. While some scenes may be a little scary for children under about 6, they are kept brief and are only used to further the story, namely a nightmare given to Sophie to convince her to stay in the cave. As a result, I recommend it for anybody who wants a magical adventure from one of the best children's novelists of all time. If you read the book, you will not be disappointed.

I think the best way to sum up this film is in the words of the BFG himself: "It's a golden phizzwizard."

Let me know what you think of The BFG in the comments below.

Click here to order the movie.


This review is dedicated to my sister, Annette.