I'm sure I'm not the only Magick User to review this movie, but if you're interested in a pagan view, here it is. If not, have a nice day.
"There is no devil in the Craft." How wonderful to hear those words come out of Sandra Bullock's mouth! I was simply delighted.
I'm not going to sit here and waste your time with the plot. The movie's been out since 1998 and most of you already know it. If you haven't seen the movie, the rest of the reviews gives you the plot, ad nauseum.
Nicole Kidman's character, Gillian Owens, is played wonderfully as a seductress. It was a bit stereotypical (remember the flighty Wiccan in Blair Witch 2?), but well played by Kidman.
I did not like the use of Belladonna, as it is used in the movie. It portrays a dark intent, which is something anyone in the Craft will tell you is strictly against the rules. However, it is a tendency in Gillian's (Kidman's) character to be drawn towards the dark path, and was therefore fitting.
And who can't identify with Sandra Bullock's Sally Owens wanting nothing more than to be "normal?" Who IS normal? WHAT is normal? Love is normal. And that's all she wants is to love unequivocally and receive that love in return.
And then there's "The Owens Family Curse." We all have ours.
Some bald early, some have the unbelievably spacious nose inherited from "Uncle Elmer." My family curse is the lack of child-bearing women in My family, hence I am the last of My mother's family. She had only Me and I have bore no live children.
At least she didn't put the usual curse on Me. (The "I hope you have a kid JUST LIKE YOU!" curse.).
The idea of Sally (Bullock) owning/operating a botanical shop, "I manufacture bath oils," is spot on. Many Magick Users long to do something along those lines.
Sally and Gillian's bringing back Gillian's lover (Goran Visnjic) from the dead (?!) "We don't do that." (Dianne Wiest as "Auntie" Bridget Owens) That spell book would have had to have been passed down from at least 5 generations, if not more to even HAVE a spell like that within its bindings. That having been said, those "in the Craft" don't do that. Most CAN'T do that, and those who can...well...shouldn't. Necromancy is of the Dark Arts, and is no part of the Craft.
And finally, the ending.
The ending was quite fantastic and over the top. Insanity, if you ask Me, but ... no one did.
Jumping off the roof of their house, in full witch regalia complete with pointy hats, bucked shoes and red and white-striped stockings, and floating down to the ground safely and slowly, FLOATING! down like that...put a fantasy-styled ending to what otherwise would have been a big boost for Pagans in the mundane world.
It's a very entertaining story, and contains great portrayals by.... Sandra Bullock .... Sally Owens Nicole Kidman .... Gillian Owens Stockard Channing .... Frances Owens Dianne Wiest .... Bridget Owens Evan Rachel Wood .... Kylie Owens Alexandra Artrip .... Antonia Owens ...right up until the ending. But the ending doesn't negate the entire movie. It just degraded its value far more than Pagans would have liked.
It still gets a 7.2/10 from...
the Fiend :.
"There is no devil in the Craft." How wonderful to hear those words come out of Sandra Bullock's mouth! I was simply delighted.
I'm not going to sit here and waste your time with the plot. The movie's been out since 1998 and most of you already know it. If you haven't seen the movie, the rest of the reviews gives you the plot, ad nauseum.
Nicole Kidman's character, Gillian Owens, is played wonderfully as a seductress. It was a bit stereotypical (remember the flighty Wiccan in Blair Witch 2?), but well played by Kidman.
I did not like the use of Belladonna, as it is used in the movie. It portrays a dark intent, which is something anyone in the Craft will tell you is strictly against the rules. However, it is a tendency in Gillian's (Kidman's) character to be drawn towards the dark path, and was therefore fitting.
And who can't identify with Sandra Bullock's Sally Owens wanting nothing more than to be "normal?" Who IS normal? WHAT is normal? Love is normal. And that's all she wants is to love unequivocally and receive that love in return.
And then there's "The Owens Family Curse." We all have ours.
Some bald early, some have the unbelievably spacious nose inherited from "Uncle Elmer." My family curse is the lack of child-bearing women in My family, hence I am the last of My mother's family. She had only Me and I have bore no live children.
At least she didn't put the usual curse on Me. (The "I hope you have a kid JUST LIKE YOU!" curse.).
The idea of Sally (Bullock) owning/operating a botanical shop, "I manufacture bath oils," is spot on. Many Magick Users long to do something along those lines.
Sally and Gillian's bringing back Gillian's lover (Goran Visnjic) from the dead (?!) "We don't do that." (Dianne Wiest as "Auntie" Bridget Owens) That spell book would have had to have been passed down from at least 5 generations, if not more to even HAVE a spell like that within its bindings. That having been said, those "in the Craft" don't do that. Most CAN'T do that, and those who can...well...shouldn't. Necromancy is of the Dark Arts, and is no part of the Craft.
And finally, the ending.
The ending was quite fantastic and over the top. Insanity, if you ask Me, but ... no one did.
Jumping off the roof of their house, in full witch regalia complete with pointy hats, bucked shoes and red and white-striped stockings, and floating down to the ground safely and slowly, FLOATING! down like that...put a fantasy-styled ending to what otherwise would have been a big boost for Pagans in the mundane world.
It's a very entertaining story, and contains great portrayals by.... Sandra Bullock .... Sally Owens Nicole Kidman .... Gillian Owens Stockard Channing .... Frances Owens Dianne Wiest .... Bridget Owens Evan Rachel Wood .... Kylie Owens Alexandra Artrip .... Antonia Owens ...right up until the ending. But the ending doesn't negate the entire movie. It just degraded its value far more than Pagans would have liked.
It still gets a 7.2/10 from...
the Fiend :.