Darkness Not Withstanding
A Series of Unfortunate Events is a Funny Film

With only a passing knowledge of the series of books from which "A Series of Unfortunate Events" came, I decided to indulge my dark side and seek out this film which promised to not have a happy ending. To my surprise, the film did a wonderful job of encapsulating not only multiple stories in the series but also the dark humor woven throughout the pages.

For those not familiar with the fictional Lemony Snicket and his collection of suspense novels for young adults, "A Series of Unfortunate Events" follows the Baudelaire children (Violet, Klaus, and Sunny) who are orphaned after a tragic fire kills their parents and burns down their home. Yet, despite the depressing beginning (and middle, and end), the stories also offer a bit of hope (albeit fleeting) and an unspoken promise that things will get better if we don't give up. Of course, things never get better (or if they do, they then get much worse), but it is with dogged determination that we keep reading to see if somehow this all won't turn around for the children.

In the film the narrator is Lemony Snicket himself (Jude Law), whose writing is becoming the film even as he writes it. He warns the audience early on that this is not a happy film and that those looking for such a film should seek entertainment elsewhere. But the audience laughs in the unsteady assurance that all Hollywood films end well. And so the story of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny begins with the horrible news that their parents have died. They are now orphans and Mr. Poe (Timothy Spall) has informed them that they will be placed in the custody of their closest (geographically) relative Count Olaf (Jim Carrey).

What Count Olaf has in terms of geographic proximity he lacks in personal warmth and charm. He is a scandalous man who shows no love for Violet, Klaus, and baby Sunny (whom he continuously refers to as a monkey). He is clearly more concerned with getting his hands on their inheritance than caring for them, and he makes no pretense of love. To the children's credit, however, they make due in their terrible situation, cleaning, cooking, and performing every chore Count Olaf has requested. Using their various talents, they manage to stay ahead of the game.

Despite Carrey's prominent visage in the marketing of this film and the star power behind his name, the true stars of the film are the children. Violet (Emily Browning) is a brooding inventor and problem solver who can deduce a solution to every problem. Klaus (Liam Aiken) is a voracious reader who remembers everything he reads. Combined with Violet's creative genius, the two children are a powerhouse of unstoppable ingenuity. Finally, little Sunny (played by twins Kara and Shelby Hoffman) is comic relief. With a penchant for biting everything in sight (a talent that is more helpful than one can imagine), she also has her baby gurgles deciphered as clever and pointed remarks in subtitles on the screen.

After a brief bout in the care of Count Olaf, the children are shuffled off to other relatives whom they don't remember. They meet "Uncle" Monty (Billy Connolly), a scientist who studies snakes and other reptiles, and "Aunt" Josephine (Meryl Streep) whose paranoia of injury is nearly incapacitating. At one point Klaus notes "Have you noticed how none of our relatives are related to us?" This, like much of the story, is part of the overall mystery surrounding the deaths of their parents.

Through it all, however, the vicious Count Olaf pops up again and again. His returns mark more characters for Carrey to portray (which is only fitting because Olaf himself is a stage actor). As he continues to plague the children, his actions shift from annoying to dangerous. His character becomes more conniving and clever. He becomes not merely a stumbling block for the children, but an actual villain.

The story comes full circle, combining parts of the first Lemony Snicket book The Bad Beginning as bookends for the film. The middle of the film is taken from the second and third books, The Reptile Room and The Wide Window. Despite the fact that the stories are melded together, it all works quite well -- giving audiences a good sample of the tragic lives of the Baudelaire children. The story is never a happy one, but the ending is satisfying and leaves us wanting more.

MY RATING: 7 out of 10.

RATED: PG
RUN TIME: 147 min.