The Magician's Elephant
3 out of 5 stars
Over the years, author Kate DiCamillo has written over 25 children’s novels, including Because of Winn-Dixie, Flora & Ulysses, and The Tale of Despereaux. Many of her books have been adapted to feature-length films, with the latest coming from the Australian animation studio, Animal Logic. This modern fairy tale captures a boy's desperate attempts to reunite with his sister through the magical appearance of an elephant in the local community.
Peter Augustus Duchene (Noah Jupe) has spent most of his life as an orphan, raised by a retired soldier named Vilna Lutz (Mandy Patinkin). As he is cared for and lives a disciplined life, the boy still hopes his sister is alive. One day, when purchasing the meal for the night at the markets, Peter decides to spend his money on a fortune teller who seems to know everything about his life. Yet, her advice is to follow the elephant to find his lost sibling, even though there are no pachyderms in this area of the world. At least there was not any until an incompetent magician (Benedict Wong) who did all he could to entertain the local crowd accidentally conjured this massive land animal out of thin air. His unexpected actions lead to events that could direct the orphaned boy to his sister or heartbreak.
For fans of Kate DiCamillo’s writings, one aspect of her stories that stands out is their beautiful simplicity, which develops into heartwarming messages of hope. These modern fairy tales draw the reader into these magical worlds while keeping the narrative accessible to children's hearts without talking down to them. There is a reason why many of her books have been made into films and stage productions since they appeal to their youthful target audience and their parents. This is no different from her 13th book about the ‘impossible’ scenario that centres on an elephant and a boy who wants to find his sister.
Animal Logic provides a beautifully constructed world for this magical tale to unfold upon. The animation is complemented by an exceptionally talented cast of voice talent that includes Jupe, Patinkin, Wong, Miranda Richardson and Brian Tyree Henry; leaving little to distract from this animated treasure. Like most fairy tales, the skeptical viewer will find it hard to believe in the escapades unfolding on the screen. Yet, this is the very thing that DiCamillo attempts to diffuse in her writings. This is a film for all who have lost their ability to see the magic in their lives and are looking for the wonderful child-like innocence of a story to inspire them again.
REEL DIALOGUE: Is it simple enough to believe?
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. -Hebrews 11:1
The imaginative tale of an elephant appearing in a concert hall to reunite a family will have skeptics pulling out their knives to carve up this tale of belief. The driving force behind the messaging of this endearing film boils down to people’s inability to believe. Can merely believing make a difference in people’s lives?
Interestingly, the same question arises when it comes to the considerations of the idea of God. Throughout history, the discussion about God's existence has been the subject of many conversations, arguments, and wars. A film like The Magician’s Elephant can be dismissed as mere cinematic fluff or child’s fairy tales. Still, it does open the door to a more significant consideration.
Can we believe in something we cannot see or doubt something you do see? Fortunately, society can be made aware of this idea. Faith is at the heart of the biblical narrative. Believe it or not, today might be a good time to consider finding the answers to the faith questions.
More like this ...
