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Dunstan Thorne (Nathaniel Parker) crosses the wall which is portal to the magical kingdom of Faerie and Stormhold. There he meets Una (Kate Magowan) and they bore a son, Tristan. Eighteen years later, the King of Stormhold (Peter O'Toole) is dying, and his seven sons fight for who will be the next king. The King turns a ruby into a diamond and says that whichever son retrieves it and returns it to a ruby will be king. The ruby knocks a star out of the sky, which the grown Tristan Thorne (Charlie Cox) sees. Tristan promises to retrieve the fallen star for Victoria (Sienna Miller) to prove his love for her. However, at the same time, three ageing witch sisters see the falling star, and one of them, Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer), leaves to capture it so, by eating its heart, they will restore their beauty and power. Tristan is unable to cross the wall so his father, Dunstan, gives him a package left with him by his mother, which turns out to be a Babylon candle that allows one to travel wherever one wishes. Then Tristan accidentally finds himself at the star's crash site in Stormhold where he meets Yvaine (Claire Danes) who turns out to be the star. Now, the King’s sons and Larnia are all after Yvaine. Will Tristan be able to protect Yvaine and keep her promise to Victoria?
A dark fairy-tale epic, Stardust is a triumph in storytelling. The soap-operatic approach of layered plots and subplots has worked well for the film. Like a masterpiece dish, all flavors of wit, humor, drama, fantasy, adventure, black and white magic blend well together in this adult fantasy. The actors have delivered stellar performances. Most commendable of them is Michelle Pfeiffer playing the role of the villain witch, Larnia. She practically steals the movie from its protagonists. Though a fairy-tale, the film is far from predictable as is able to offer varied twists and turns without diverting from the continuum of emotions. All in all, Stardust is one magical viewing experience.
Though a fantasy fairy-tale, Stardust is not a film meant for children. With its frequent representation of consent to pre-marital sex, black magic and comical representation of murder, such undertones can only be discerned by a mature audience so children must be accompanied by parents in watching. But then in totality, as any fairy tale would go, Stardust is full of morals which both adults and children can learn from. There’s vanity and hunger for power as both humans’ and immortals’ favorite sin. The lessons of love in the film are timeless. Oftentimes, humans look too far only to find out that their true love is right in front of them. In the battle of good versus evil, the one with the pure heart always prevails. The metaphor of love as star is an effective visual treat with a message that lingers in the hearts and minds of the viewers. Like a star, one’s life shines brighter with love in their hearts. Something people may already know but oftentimes take for granted. For the cynic and pessimistic, Stardust is a reminder of the magical and divine powers of love.
(Date Reviewed: 11 October 2007)
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