The visually stunning cinematography of Winter’s Tale has the aura of Anna Karenina meets Titanic. The film is an adaptation of the novel by Mark Helprin, shifts from New York in the 1890s, 1914, and present day 2014. The voice-over narration, is spoken by the lead character, Beverley Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay) is poetic — veering on the edge of philosophical. The film’s soundtrack is done by Hans Zimmer and Rupert Gregson-Williams, which adds to the film’s overall mystical nature by adding a sense of romance and fantastical artistry.
Unfortunately, the attempt at adding an element of fairy-tale falls flat with the film’s narrative. The problem lies in the missing details which make the plot rather confusing. How or why the characters can perform miracles and the reasoning behind why demons pursue the lead characters are never explained. The plot moves quickly without supporting explanation. Overall, this movie is visually stunning, but might only be enjoyed by those who have read the book.
