Maleficent (2014)

Maleficent is the story of Sleeping Beauty told from another character’s perspective, that of the title character, a misunderstood fairy who condemns Sleeping Beauty to her long sleep. The film examines the tension between the kingdom of the humans and the Moors where the magical folk (fairies, pixies, etc.) live. A young Maleficent falls in love with a human named Stefan; however, he leaves her when their kiss turns out not to be “love’s true kiss.” He returns to the land of the humans, only to betray Maleficent later because of his outsized ambition to be kind, cutting off her powerful wings. When his daughter, the Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning), is born, Maleficent (Angela Jolie in full-on imperious acting mode) curses her with the familiar “she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die when she turns 16.” The catch: the spell can be broken only by true love’s kiss. To ensure her safety, Aurora is whisked away to be taken care of by three pixies (played with a delightful comic touch by Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton, and Juno Temple), King Stefan orders all spinning wheels destroyed, and Maleficent creates a wall of thorns to block access between the kingdom and the Moors. Why the king would send Aurora to the Moors for protection is a puzzling move, especially since it leads Maleficent to befriend Aurora and serve as her erstwhile “fairy” godmother. Naturally, there’s a huge battle between the humans and the magic folks, and that extended sequence is one of the most visually arresting of the film. The film is very CGI heavy, and it’s rather obvious at times, but when Maleficent transforms her raven sidekick Diaval (Sam Riley) into a dragon, all is forgiven. Disney’s adaptation of its famous version of the fairy tale takes some astonishing risks, not the least of which is making Maleficent a tragic but sympathetic character rather than the heartless evil character from other versions. Jolie’s Maleficent is pure drag queen fantasy nightmare with her outside horns and enormous wings; she makes quite the visual impression. She’s really the most intriguing aspect of the film, and it’s undoubtedly her look that led to the film’s sole nomination for an Academy Award.

Oscar Nomination: Best Achievement in Costume Design