Movie Review: The Lure (Corki Dancingu) (2015)

The Lure (Corki Dancingu) (2015) directed by Agnieszka Smoczynska

Two mermaid sisters (whose names are Gold and Silver) are drawn to the shore by the siren song of a nightclub trio singing on a beach. The sisters sing their own siren song to get noticed and taken to land. After an interview with the nightclub owner (which includes the revelation that they are mermaids and will grow long, luscious tails when they get wet), the sisters become part of the act. The story is set in 1980s Poland and the club is a bit trashy--a lot of the acts involve stripping or otherwise exploiting the talent for the benefit of the patrons. There's sex in the bathrooms. Anyone can get a smoke or a drink, including the probably underaged sisters. Nevertheless, they enjoy what they think is a glamorous life and Silver falls for the trio's guitarist. That spells trouble for a number of reasons. If she gets the tail-to-legs operation, she'll lose her voice (just like in The Little Mermaid, a clear jumping off point for this film). Also, if he falls in love with someone else, she'll turn to sea foam if she doesn't eat him before the next sunrise. Did I mention they are carnivorous mermaids? The tale has more dark themes beyond the squalor of the night club.

The musical numbers are not limited to the night club. The girls sing a tune as they shop for clothes; Silver has one during the surgical swap of her fish tail with another woman's lower half. A lot of the songs are rather bleak (even the upbeat ones aren't very catchy). The music has a lot of synthesizers, which goes well with the 1980s setting but isn't my favorite style of music. I'm not inspired to run out and get the soundtrack. The musical element is persistent but not strong.

The coming of age story is more like Ginger Snaps or The Company of Wolves, i.e. a more adult and horror-tinged look at female sexuality. The contrast between Silver's search for true love, with its inherent dangers of offering yourself to someone who may not reciprocate, and Gold's exploration of her sexuality, looking for a tantalizing experience or maybe her next meal, is interesting. Sensuality is fairly rampant in the movie. The movie has a lot of nudity (entirely female, by the way) and frank sexuality. Having two young females going through that journey of self discovery lets the filmmakers look at their sexuality in different ways without sacrificing plausibility.

Overall, I found the movie interesting but I don't know who I'd recommend it to. It has elements of a musical horror like Little Shop of Horrors and of a musical fairy tale like Into the Woods, but is much darker and less comedic than either. It's not a brilliant combination of music and storytelling as the film Once. The actors are endearing and the theme is explored in interesting ways. The movie defies easy categorization.

Dual/Duel Review: Disney's Little Mermaid vs Ghibli's Ponyo

Dual/Duel reviews are an online smackdown between two books, movies, games, podcasts, etc. etc. that I think are interesting to compare, contrast, and comment on. For a list of other dual/duel reviews, go here.

The timelessness of fairy tales can be seen in how they are re-imagined and re-told by each generation. Often, purists seek out the original text and any deviation from that is considered, well, deviant. Such an attitude, while understandable, is a bit stagnant. Bringing new ideas or twists or perspectives to a story can provide a deeper appreciation. It's like seeing a statue in different lighting or from a different angle--nuances of meaning or interpretation can shift in unexpected ways.

One classic tale (though it is relatively young by fairy tale standards) is Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid. After a long stretch of mediocre animated films, Disney was able to renew its artistic creativity and excellence with the 1989 release of their musical animated extravaganza, The Little Mermaid. The music is great. The animation is top notch. The characters are well-drawn and well-performed. The story is mostly faithful to Andersen's tale except for the typical "Disneyfied" ending. Has a Disney princess ever failed to get her man? At the time of the release, conservatives complained about how the movie endorsed children defying their parents, since Ariel was ultimately seen as right in seeking out the human world against her father's wishes. But King Triton is a more nuanced parent than someone like the step-mother in Cinderella, who apparently is okay to defy since she is baldly evil. The controversy was never quite convincing to me back then; even now, with a young daughter, I still can't agree with the criticism.

In 2008, Studio Ghibli, home of master Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, released Gake no ue no Ponyo which was released in America as Ponyo in 2009. The story is inspired by Andersen's story but set in the contemporary world. Five-year old Sosuke lives in a cliff-side home with his mom Lisa. One day he saves a goldfish with a humanish face, brings her home, and names her Ponyo. She likes him as he does her with the innocent and immediate friendship that five-year olds have. She's the daughter of a wizard and a sea-goddess and thus has magical powers. But her powers will fade if she becomes human like she wants to. When she's recaptured by her dad, she accidentally releases a potent brew he's working on. This causes a massive storm creating problems for the sea-dwellers and the land-dwellers too. A somewhat heavy-handed environmental theme is subsumed into the larger theme of living in harmony, having a balanced approach to life much in keeping with the Golden Rule. Ponyo's story is a great blending of real life, magic, and whimsy.

Even though both movies are based on the same story and are animated, it is not so easy to compare them. They both incorporate big, beautiful imagery that fires the imagination. Ponyo is a bit more fanciful. They both use music well. The Little Mermaid is richer here as a well-executed musical. The Little Mermaid is set in a quasi-medieval/Renaissance world (at least the human part of it) that is standard for Disney fairy tale flicks. Ponyo's use of a modern day setting is more bold, opening up new storytelling possibilities. Miyazaki takes full advantage of those possibilities.

Andersen was a story teller of a different type from the Brothers Grimm. They collected folk tales from oral traditions. Andersen crafted new tales that still have the mythic or timeless character of the tales handed down from generation to generation. Indeed, his tales now are handed down like the Grimms' tales. Andersen would probably favor Ponyo as something newer, fresher.

This is a tough call, but I have to give it to Ponyo for its greater originality. While The Little Mermaid is a classic, I might be a little burned out on it. Certainly both are great films. Both are worth owning and watching multiple times.

Winner:



Loser: