Cygnet Kit

Two stars, but only because the film was visually interesting. If anyone is giving a higher review, I'm really wondering what they were smoking before viewing this film. It was like watching someones fever dream play out. There was slim to no story, with each scene playing as a backdrop to feature costumes that were fantastical without purpose. The entire film felt like an echo of a story - like B reel, where they forgot to edit in any of the scenes that mattered for moving the tale forward. The only possible attempt at a moral is that the little girl, being in pursuit of growing up, passes through a portal of "understanding", and then can't go back through to her old life. A potential metaphor for growing up, and that though we may be nostalgic for childhood, we cannot go back to childhood naiveté even if we try. THAT is a reach for this movie though, and I feel generous for attempting to find even that little bit of something, out of this nonsensical meandering of half developed script writing. It may have been something decent if the script writers would have committed to making a definitive statement about something, but they never settled in long enough with any of the characters to be meaningful. I think they thought the vague approach would be artful, and it just came across flat and weird. Additionally, what on earth is with the overt sexualization of the under age girls throughout the film? The pendulum swing of the parents being at one moment protective, and the next completely absent minded concerning their kids is inconsistent, and plays out as a trope in order to allow certain attempts at plot points, which lean heavily in the direction of child exploitation. I get that they are attempting to make a point about young girls in modern society, yet their lack of commitment to to any sort of direction and character building in the film just made all of that come off as creepy. Pretty sure the story writer was inspired by Lewis Carroll, attempting to riff off of Alice in Wonderland, but went a little too far into also emulating the classic writers alleged interest in minors. No, this is not some fantastical and artful story for young girls, about maturity and coming of age. Claiming that is beyond reaching. It's really a lazy production, that thought having Carrie and Rita, with an excellent costume department, would be enough to make a movie. It wasn't.