Earliest reviews, almost all from the UK where the film is about to open: Overall, positive for the film even when they have issues with parts of it, but much more positive for Angelina's performance. I've selected critics who have, at one time or another, appeared on Rotten Tomatoes.
HeyUGuys
By Emily Breen
4 out of 5
...
In a role seemingly tailor-made for her otherworldly looks and notorious
enchantment with the dark side, Angelina Jolie quite simply dazzles.
Her Maleficent is magnificent. A brief onscreen moment with her real
daughter (Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, as the younger Aurora) and later
crippling grief for the loss of the child she damned are quite
overwhelmingly moving while leaps into bleak comedy are nimbly achieved.
As the technicoloured kingdom of the fairies is infused with shades
of grey – its panorama marinated in Maleficent’s rage and despair –
Maleficent the film becomes something truly special. The imperious,
horned figure stalking into Aurora’s christening celebration to chasten
the cowering king trails our own empathy and impotent fury in her wake.
James Newton Howard’s stirring score still trumpets the remembered pomp
and circumstance but it shimmers with hints of disharmony as the tidy
tapestry unravels. Baby Aurora is cursed and hastened away, just as we
recollect, yet nothing unfolds as it ought to. This is Aurora in
Wonderland with all the characters downside up and no one behaving as
they ought to at all.
It would be disingenuous to say that anyone is Angelina Jolie’s equal
here – Maleficent is so undeniably her picture – however she is given
valiant support by her co-stars. Sharlto Copley’s King Stefan is
genuinely grotesque in his villainous transformation and Elle Fanning
brings a mischievous spirit and charm to Aurora which recalls Ever
After’s splendid Danielle (Drew Barrymore). Maleficent’s animal familiar
Diaval (Sam Riley) offers a nice wry counterpoint to some of her more
pantomime moments, and effectively bridges a pair of ponderous leaps
between whimsy and melodrama.
Unexpectedly the weakest link here is the aesthetic, which stumbles
between breathtaking gothic beauty and Tinker Bell outtake twee. The
light relief that fairy childminders Flittle, Knotgrass and Thistletwit
(Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton and Juno Temple) delivered is stunted
by their distracting CG bodies, while the disjointed 3D effects are
largely surplus to requirements. This is a film which succeeds in spite
of its special effects not thanks to them, though character make-up and
wardrobe are uniformly excellent throughout. Perhaps Robert Stromberg
contracted a little too much Burton magic in their time together.
Although Maleficent’s horrific betrayal is suggested rather than
shown, it strikes an effective and brutal note of discord through the
equilibrium of her land which reverberates until the final twist of the
tale. With the line separating good guys from bad so cleverly blurred –
and without the distancing quality of animation – the ultra violence of
King Stefan’s pursuit and Maleficent’s retaliation rampage across
screen. This bold approach commands rapt attention and allows an older
audience deeper investment in the fantastical story, but very young
viewers will need a bigger hand to hold.
Hollywood Elsewhere
Jeff Wells Swirly Blue-Black Fantasia
I’m planning to catch the 1 pm showing of Malefique at the Les Halles plex. General critical approval is prevailing thus far. Except for the Telegraph‘s rarely fully satisfied Robbie Collin, of course, but even he was more or less okay with it. Sasha Stone and her daughter may be looking forward to this, but I’m not. At least it only runs 90-something minutes.
Digital Spy
By Ben Rawson-Jones
3 out of 5
...
Much like the character of Maleficent veers between hero and villain
during the story, the film straddles the line between magnificence and
misery. Yet the consistent splendour of Jolie's spellbinding portrayal,
the energetic presence of Fanning and a rousing climax that reinforces
classic moral values go a long way to salvaging this uneven production.
First Worldwide Maleficent Review: Visually stunning, subversive with a scenery-chewing turn by Jolie http://t.co/DQwYxvzwgH#maleficent
— TheLondonFilmReview (@LondonFilmRev) May 27, 2014
By Joe Walsh
3 stars out of 5
...
It's in the darker moments of the film, especially those that tone down
the CGI, that the film shines, holding focus on Jolie's impassioned
performance. Literally floating around are a trio of irksome fairies
played by Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton and Juno Temple, whose
skittish chit-chat irritates more than entertains. Elle Fanning's turn
as Aurora is handled well, although as a flaxen-haired princess
enchanted with the world around her, she has little scope for her
abilities to play with (the less said about Brenton Thwaites' Prince
Phillip the better). Yet despite its pitfalls, Maleficent
entertains because of Jolie, who holds the wavering threads of
Stromberg's spinning wheel together with aplomb. There's certainly
enough style and charm to hold audience's attention, vastly improving on
the lacklustre Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Oz: The Great And Powerful (2013).
When the time comes for Aurora to prick her finger and the curse to take
effect, Maleficent has realised the error of her ways, and dashes to the
castle, where a confrontation with King Stefan ensues. The action sequences
are executed with rhythm and punch, and our heroine swoops and swirls around
like Iron Man in a sheath dress. Maleficent may be short on true
enchantment, but until we find a superhero who can pull off a black silk
cocktail gown in battle, she’s very welcome.
REVIEW: Witchy-keen Angelina Jolie is, of course, the best reason to see Disney's dark fairytale reboot MALEFICENT: http://t.co/aTXOlTG9Ga
— Time Out Film (@TimeOutFilm) May 28, 2014
The
actor will attend a Foreign Office screening of her Bosnia war film as
part of her support for a team of experts who will gather evidence about
sexual violence in conflict areas
Special envoy … Angelina Jolie will
attend a screening at the Foreign Office of her film In the Land of
Blood and Honey. Photograph: Markus Schreiber/AP
Jolie, a special envoy for the United Nations refugee agency, will attend the event and give a speech prior to the screening. In the Land of Blood and Honey was the source of controversy during its production process after it was criticised by Bosnian victims of sexual violence during the Balkan conflict, their anger having centred on erroneous reports that the film saw a Bosnian rape
victim fall in love with her Serbian attacker. Since then, the film has
drawn praise from critics and rape victims alike. Earlier this year it
won a special Producers Guild prize – the Stanley Kramer award – for
illuminating provocative social issues.
Jolie is backing the assembly of a UK team of lawyers, human rights
campaigners, psychologists, forensic experts and doctors, who will
gather evidence about sexual violence in war zones in support of UN
teams and local charities. The initiative is expected to be in place by
the end of the year.
The foreign secretary, William Hague,
who will host the launch event, said: "Sexual violence is a problem
found in every society in the world, and all countries have to do more
to tackle it at home. We have to ensure equal rights for women at every
level of society, and to protect the vulnerable, most of all our
children.
"But it is in the context of war and conflict
that sexual violence is found to the most appalling degree, and on a
scale most of us cannot imagine. Sexual violence is an issue which is
central to conflict prevention and to peace-building worldwide. Where
there is no justice, the seeds of future conflict are sewn, and
development is held back."
The UN estimates that only 30
convictions have been made from an estimated 50,000 rapes committed
during the 1990s Balkans conflict, during which sexual attacks were
often used as a weapon of war and a tool of ethnic cleansing. Atrocities
have also been particularly widespread in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and the Darfur region of Sudan.
In
the Land of Blood and Honey, which Jolie screened in both English and
Serbo-Croatian versions, portrays a romance between Danijel (Goran
Kostić), a Serb man, and Ajla (Zana Marjanović), a Bosniak woman, which
blossoms as the last nails are being hammered into Yugoslavia's coffin.
Torn apart by the war, they meet unexpectedly when Ajla is taken
prisoner in a war camp and Danijel is her jailer. The Guardian's Andrew
Pulver called it "sombre, powerful, and undeniably gripping" after the drama screened at the Berlin film festival in February.
Angelina Jolie is a special envoy for the United Nations
An initiative aimed at tackling sexual violence in war zones across the world is to be launched by the UK government.
It is hoped the scheme, which is backed by actress Angelina
Jolie, will mean more perpetrators of sexual violence can be pursued in
international courts.
UK experts will be trained to deploy at short notice to gather evidence in conflict-hit areas, under the scheme.
Rape is often used as a tactic of war against men, women and children in conflicts across the globe.
The team of experts will be selected from professions
including the police, psychologists, doctors, lawyers, and forensic
experts.
Apart from gathering evidence, they will mentor international
organisations fighting sexual violence, and help to draft effective
legislation. 'Horrifying reports'
An audience of public figures and human rights campaigners
will gather for the launch of the scheme, at the Foreign Office in
London.
Actress Angelina Jolie, a special envoy for the United
Nations, is to speak at the launch, before a screening of her new film,
In the Land Of Blood and Honey - a love story set in the 1992-95 Bosnian
war.
BBC world affairs correspondent Mike Wooldridge said that
while sexual violence was frequently used as a weapon of war, conviction
rates were still too low.
Countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo will be the project's biggest concern, he said.
Our correspondent says Foreign Secretary William Hague will
also use the launch of the initiative to speak about "horrifying reports
now starting to emerge" of rape in Syria.
In the run-up to the scheme's launch, Mr Hague said: "Sexual
violence is a problem found in every society in the world, and all
countries have to do more to tackle it at home.
"But it is in the context of war and conflict that sexual
violence is found to the most appalling degree, and on a scale most of
us cannot imagine."
In November, Margot Wallstrom, special representative of the
United Nations secretary-general on sexual violence in conflict,
revealed that although up to 50,000 women had been raped during the
Balkans conflict, there had been only 30 convictions.
Around 200,000 women of all ages were raped during the war in Congo, which ended in 2003.
In 2010 alone, 8,000 women and girls were raped due to continuing violence in the country.
The British government said it would use the UK presidency of
the G8 in 2013 to promote a global approach to tackling sexual violence
in war-torn countries and bringing perpetrators to the courts.
Foreign Secretary William Hague will announce a UK initiative on preventing sexual violence in conflict later today.
The initiative forms part of the UK’s forthcoming Presidency of the G8 in 2013.
It will include the establishment of a dedicated UK team devoted to
combating and preventing sexual violence in conflict. This team will be
able to be deployed overseas at short notice to gather evidence and
testimony that can be used to support investigations and prosecutions.
The initiative will be launched to an invited audience of political
and civil society figures at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
followed by an advance screening of “In the Land of Blood and Honey.”
The film’s Director and Special Envoy to the UN High Commissioner on
Refugees, Ms Angelina Jolie, will be present, along with members of the
cast.
The Foreign Secretary will say:
“Sexual violence is a problem found in every society in the world,
and all countries have to do more to tackle it at home. We have to
ensure equal rights for women at every level of society, and to protect
the vulnerable, most of all our children. But it is in the context of
war and conflict that sexual violence is found to the most appalling
degree, and on a scale most of us cannot imagine.
“In Bosnia and Herzegovina between 20,000 and 50,000 women were raped
between 1992 and 1995. In Sierra Leone, the figure was between 50,000
and 64,000. During the genocide in Rwanda, the UN estimates that at
least 250,000 women were raped. In Liberia, 49% of women between the
ages of 15 and 70 reported experiencing at least one act of physical or
sexual violence by a soldier or fighter. And there are horrifying
reports now starting to emerge of rape in Syria.
“Sexual violence is an issue which is central to conflict prevention
and to peace building worldwide. Where there is no justice, the seeds
of future conflict are sown, and development is held back. This was
brought home to me personally when I met women in refugee camps in
Darfur and survivors of Srebrenica.
“As a community of nations we will not succeed in preventing conflict
and building sustainable peace unless we give this issue the centrality
it deserves; alongside the empowerment and participation of women at
every level in all societies.
“Despite the valiant efforts of many individuals and organisations,
the perpetrators of the worst sexual crimes generally go unpunished. So
today, I want to publicly renew the British Government’s commitment to
the fight against sexual violence. We want to use Britain’s influence
and diplomatic capability to rally effective international action.
“We want to help find practical ways to ensure that survivors feel
confident to speak out, and regain the dignity, rights, and restitution
that is their due. And we want to see a significant increase in the
number of successful prosecutions so that we erode and eventually
demolish the culture of impunity.
“To that end, we will set up a new team of experts devoted to
combating and preventing sexual violence in conflict. This team will be
able to be deployed overseas at short notice to gather evidence and
testimony that can be used to support investigations and prosecutions.
It will be available to be drawn on to support UN missions, and to
provide training and mentoring to national authorities to help them
develop the right laws and capabilities. It will draw on the skills of
doctors, lawyers, police, psychologists, forensic experts and experts in
the care and protection of victims and witnesses.
“On top of this, we will use Britain’s Presidency of the G8, starting
on January 1st 2013, to run a year-long diplomatic campaign on the need
for stronger international action to deter and prevent sexual violence
in conflict.
“We will use these crucial seven months before our Presidency to
build real momentum around this initiative. Within that time, we will
bring the new team fully into operation; and we will consult other
countries and work with the UN and our NGO partners on specific detailed
initiatives for the UK’s G8 Presidency and beyond.
“We are deeply honoured that Ms Angelina Jolie, Special Envoy of the
UN High Commissioner for Refugees, has joined us tonight at this launch.
Ms Jolie, we are very grateful to you for coming and for graciously
allowing us to screen your film ‘In the Land of Blood and Honey’. For
more than ten years you have worked to highlight the plight of refugees
worldwide in Haiti, Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and many
other countries; to support numerous charitable causes, and to promote
education, justice and the rights of women worldwide. And in this film
you bring to life the devastating human consequences of international
inaction in the face of conflict, the appalling human rights abuses that
stem from it, and the impact on women. It is a rallying call that none
of us can ignore.”
Angelina Jolie is to give her support today to the launch of a new Government
initiative aimed at tackling sexual violence in war zones across the world.
Angelina Jolie will speak before an
advance screening hosted by Foreign Secretary William Hague of her film
In The Land Of Blood And HoneyPhoto: AP
4:48PM BST 28 May 2012
The actor will speak before an advance screening hosted by Foreign Secretary
William Hague of her film In The Land Of Blood And Honey, a love story set
against the backdrop of the Bosnia war.
The film shows the brutality of the war and is said to depict summary
executions and the systematic rape of Muslim and Croat women.
The event at the Foreign Office in London, for a specially-invited audience of
senior public figures, lawyers and human rights campaigners, marks a new
Government initiative aimed at helping secure more prosecutions against
perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict zones across the world.
A UK team of experts will be created by the end of this year drawn from
professions such as the police, lawyers, psychologists, doctors and forensic
experts aimed at helping international efforts to gather evidence on sexual
violence in conflict zones.
Members would also be able to help in mentoring and training organisations
tackling sexual violence and provide expertise in drafting legislation aimed
at strengthening sanctions against perpetrators.
The Government said it planned to use the UK presidency of the G8 next year to
promote practical ways of tackling sexual violence in war zones.
Rape has been used as a weapon of war against women, men and children in
conflicts across the world, including Congo, Rwanda and former Yugoslavia.
A Tearfund report Silent No More published last year outlined United Nations
statistics showing that worldwide one in five women will become a victim of
rape or attempted rape in her lifetime.
During the war in Congo, aroun 200,000 women and girls were raped but in spite
of the war ending in 2003, in 2010 alone 8,000 women and girls were raped
amid continuing conflict in the country.
During the Rwandan genocide in 1994, between 250,000 and 500,000 people were
sexually assaulted and in Liberia sexual violence was ''recognised weapon of
war'', the report said.
In spite of widespread sexual violence in war zones, conviction rates remain
''far too low'' according to the Foreign Office.
Margot Wallstrom, special representative of the United Nations
secretary-general on sexual violence in conflict, said in November that
there have been only 30 convictions in spite of an estimated 50,000 rapes
committed during the Balkans conflict.
Jolie, a special envoy for the United Nations refugee agency, said earlier
this month that she was ''grateful and proud'' to be officially named an
honorary citizen of Sarajevo as a result of her film, her directorial debut.
Mr Hague said: ''Sexual violence is a problem found in every society in the
world, and all countries have to do more to tackle it at home.
''We have to ensure equal rights for women at every level of society, and to
protect the vulnerable, most of all our children.
''But it is in the context of war and conflict that sexual violence is found
to the most appalling degree, and on a scale most of us cannot imagine.''
He added: ''Sexual violence is an issue which is central to conflict
prevention and to peace building worldwide.
''Where there is no justice, the seeds of future conflict are sown, and
development is held back.''
She may have won an Oscar for her work in front of the camera, but Angelina Jolie has revealed that she suffered an emotional breakdown during the filming of her directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey.
The glamorous Hollywood star talked candidly about the ‘meltdown’ during a live video web chat yesterday, and how the doubts in her ability to write and direct the Bosnian War-based film ended with partner Brad Pitt comforting her.
Angelina revealed: ‘I had a complete emotional breakdown in the shower and Brad found me crying. I felt this huge responsibility and I felt very small and, who am I to take this on? I had a complete meltdown.'
In the Land of Blood and Honey tells the love story of a couple amidst the Bosnian War in Sarajevo in the ‘90s, and while the actress states that she enjoyed working on the project, she sounds unsure as to whether she would direct again.
She said: ‘I just wanted to tell this story and I ended up by default being the director. It was a pleasure but I wonder if it would be a pleasure with another cast and crew, and a subject matter that wasn't so special. I didn't plan to become a director, and I still have trouble saying I'm a director.’
Despite her doubts in her ability behind the camera,
Angelina has clearly done a good job, with the film scooping a string
of prestigious awards, including the Producers Guild of America’s Stanley Kramer Award for 2012, as well as being nominated in the Best Foreign Language film category at this year’s Golden Globe Awards, which take place on Sunday.
Angelina Jolie may have just
added another string to her bow, but the actress turned director was not
always confident in her ability to make the transition.
She
told fans on a live video web chat that she had a 'complete meltdown'
while making her directorial debut, wartime film In the Land of Blood
and Honey.
Jolie had to be comforted by partner Brad Pitt after collapsing in the shower in tears.
Meltdown: Angelina Jolie says she had an 'emotional breakdown' while directing her first movie
The 36-year-old star said: 'I had a complete emotional breakdown in the shower and Brad found me crying.
'I felt this huge responsibility and I felt very small and, who am I to take this on?'
She added: 'I had a complete meltdown.'
Doting: The actress said her partner Brad Pitt found her in the shower in tears
Colleagues: Angelina and actress Vanessa Glodjo took part in a live web chat
The actress took on the daunting project of writing and directing the love story, which is set in the Bosnian war.
And
while she is determined to tell the tale in order to raise awareness,
she is unsure as to whether she will return to her behind the scenes
role.
She said: 'I didn't plan to become a director, and I still have trouble saying I'm a director.
A star is born: Vanesssa Glodjo plays the lead in Angelina's new movie
Success: In the Land of Blood and Honey has been nominated for a Golden Globe
'I just wanted to tell this story and I ended up by default being the director.
'It was a pleasure but I wonder if it would be a pleasure with another cast and crew, and a subject matter that wasn't so special.'
The
Salt star was captivated by hearing heart-wrenching stories of people's
experiences living through the Bosnian war, but says at the time it
happened, when she was aged 17, she was unaware of its seriousness.
Captivating: The film is a love story set in the Bosnian war
Mum of six: Angelina wants to teach her children 'compassion and respect'
She said: 'I knew very little, like most Americans.
'I was 17 so I wasn't very focussed. I was my own form of self-destructive, and it was a bad time.' She later came back to the subject and added: 'I was a punk... you don't imagine you could ever be a role model.' Jolie
has clearly proven her directorial ability as the movie, which is
released in Europe in February, has been nominated for an award at the
Golden Globes.
Supportive: Brad accompanied Angelina to a special screening of her movie in Washington
The subject matter, which is
close to her heart, has helped her to realise the importance of teaching
her children certain values.
When asked by a fan what lessons she wished to pass onto her children, the actress said 'compassion and respect'.
She said: 'I want my children to be aware of the world around them and have respect for all people around the world.'
She
added: 'From the nature of the make-up of my family, they learn a lot
abot each other. They dont see this divide which is dangerous.'
British Embassy
Foreign Office (FCO)
