Cinema Consults: LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS

This film, which can be rentedfrom your local video store, israted on a scale of 1 to 4 caducei:

LEMONY SNICKET

'S A SERIES

OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS

Lemony Snicket's a Serious of Unfortunate

Events

(2004): Life doesn't always havea happy ending.People die. Somepeople are devious.Although these aredifficult lessons,they have to belearned by everyone—even children.Every summerI try to cover atleast one film that can be enjoyed bythe entire family, and this year I haveselected the film adaptation of. Your family mayalready be familiar with this beautifullydesigned and hopelessly bleak bookseries that teaches its readers aboutappreciating family when enduringlife's miseries. The story centers on theendless traumas experienced by theBaudelaire orphans: Violet, Klaus,and their baby sister Sunny. Thesenew classics are brought to the screenby combining several of the tales intoone fairly cohesive storyline. JimCarrey is outlandish as the dastardlyvillain Count Olaf and is flanked bya number of interesting supportingcharacters. The award for scenestealer goes to the helplessly adorableSunny played by tots Kara andShelby Hoffman. Although, condensingthe books makes for arushed pace at times, the essence ofthe stories perseveres and is complimentedby beautifully dismal andgruesomely grand backdrops.

Rating: 3.5

Lisa A. Tomaszewski, managing editor of

Physician's Money Digest, is currently

working on her PhD in literature at Drew

University in New Jersey. She is an avid

fan of film and has taught a summer film

course at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

She welcomes questions, comments, or

suggestions for future film reviews at

732-656-1140 ext 195 or ltomaszewski@ascendmedia.com.