CITY OF EMBER
Starring: Tim Robbins, Bill Murray, Toby Jones, Martin Landau, Saoirse Ronan,
Harry Treadaway, Mary Kay Place and Liz Smith
Directed By: Gil Kenan
PG for mild peril and some thematic elements
By John Delia
City of Ember is a very good family film with a lot of challenging situations, enjoyable characters and a lot of excitement. The film is based on a series of novels for young people called “The Books of Ember†by Jeanne DuPrau with “The City of Ember†being the first of four. In the crowded PG-13 to R rated movie market, City of Ember is a welcome breath of fresh air for the adults that have youngsters.
It is very hard to put the story into a synopsis without giving away too much, but what follows should protect you from any spoilers of the surprises and adventure in the film. Humanity has built an underground city called Ember due to a prophecy that the earth was doomed. Over 200 years have passed and deep down in the earth the descendents of the people are now running out of food and resources to sustain their lives. But life goes on as usual even though a missing secret box that contains a map to the surface should have been opened during their 200th year.
Teenage friends Doon (Treadaway) and Lina (Ronan) have just graduated from school and are now old enough to have appointed jobs in the tiny city where everyone works for the common good. Doon gets a job as plumbing worker while Lina on the other hand gets just what she wanted, to be able to use her fleetness as a messenger girl. Little do they know that their chosen professions would help them uncover answers to a mystery kept secret for over 200 years? We follow Doon and Lina as they start a race against the clock, following clues and avoiding danger, trying to solve the unknown and save humanity.
The film kept me totally engrossed in the storyline much like National Treasure did with their map of clues that lead them to a different kind of riches. Ronan (the young girl who plays Briony in Atonement) is marvelous as Lina the feisty young girl who stirs up trouble in the underground world of Ember. Her wistful manner and effervescent personality make the young girl among director Kenan’s brilliant players. Treadway adds his fine talent that’s needed to make Doon the instrument that allows Lina to complete her adventure. Robbins, Murray and Landau are cunningly inserted into film completing the excellent cast of unusual characters.
Directing, cinematography and sets are all amazing in the film. I loved the old city and the monstrous generator that flickers and groans from age. I’m hoping that City of Ember does well at the box-office so there will be depictions of book two through the final chapter in book four.
The PG rated film does contain mild peril and some thematic elements such as a huge mole that may be a little scary for the very young.
FINAL ANALYSIS: City of Ember is a terrific film for the whole family. (4 of 5 stars)