While Jim Carrey's performance in \Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events"" shares very little with his role in ""Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,"" both cases show Carrey at his finest-but they also show him surrounded by other actors who can actually act.
One of the problems with previous films starring Carrey is he overwhelms his co-stars. His over-the-top turn as Count Olaf in ""Snicket"" would seem primed to create a similar situation, but the rest of the cast is spectacular as well.
The three wealthy Baudelaire children are orphaned in the movie's opening. Their parents dead and their home destroyed in a mysterious fire, Violet, Klaus and Sunny are sent to live with distant relative Count Olaf. Quickly discovering his intent to pilfer the Baudelaire fortune, the children seek escape. They eventually are handed over to other relatives like Uncle Monty and Aunt Josephine, but Olaf continues tracking them in hopes of gaining their inheritance for himself.
The film is based on the first three books in the British series by the same name. In retrospect, the film does seem a bit episodic, easily breaking down into three sections based on what relative currently has protective custody of the children. However, ""Snicket"" strings the sections together well, making it cohesive and quick-paced.
Furthermore, the cinematography, set designs and makeup are amazing. Many scenes are reminiscent of German expressionism, clearly sharing the dark and winding visual influences of Tim Burton. Director Brad Silberling (""Moonlight Mile"") really crafts some amazing images that fit the film's world perfectly.
Meryl Streep does a fine job as the nervous, jittery Aunt Josephine. Despite initial concerns that her part would become annoying and superfluously eccentric, Streep's character becomes more and more natural as the minutes roll by. The child performances are most surprising. Emily Browning as Violet and Liam Aiken as Klaus are wonderful. Most child performances are painfully bad, so there may be a tendency to overstate Browning and Aiken's abilities. That said, most audiences will be left marveling at how these two relative unknowns carried large portions of the film on their own. ""Snicket"" may be characterized by some as simply another British children's book series getting the movie treatment thanks to the success of ""Harry Potter."" However, all those involved have created a wonderfully dark film that will entertain all ages-and, hopefully, will spawn equally impressive sequels.
