"Enchanted" (***)

I'm still trying to collect my thoughts after one of the most wonderful movie going experiences of the year. "Enchanted," in all its camp and predictability, is one of the best films of the year. It brought back memories of the old Disney classics that my generation and the ones before me grew up with.

The story is very simple. Giselle, a cartoon princess, before marrying her Prince Charming is pushed into a well by his mother so she will not have to give up her crown. The well leads Giselle to real world New York where Giselle has to cope with some new experiences and find her place in the world. All the time, she is trying to find Prince Edward, who has ventured into the real world to bring her back, so they can get married. The catch is Giselle meets a divorce attorney who teaches her how to survive in the real world. The story is very predictable, but the audience cannot help but be fully engrossed in it. It is a satire of the Disney classics that in turn pays homage to them.

The main reason the film works is because of Amy Adams. Amy Adams gives the best performance out of any actor or actress this year. I don't see how she can't be nominated for Best Actress. I'm going to go ahead and say she's going to win. I have not seen Keira Knightley in "Atonement" or Ellen Page in "Juno" yet, but I don't see how either of them can come close to Adams. She was Giselle. This movie would not have been as good as it was if it were not for Adams. She is the epitome of a Disney princess. Her performance is something that has to be experienced; the universal, glowing praise from critics doesn't even do her justice. It is hard to describe her performance in words. It's kind of like in the movie when Giselle experiences anger for the first time. Watching her on screen is like experiencing something totally new, a new feeling that I have never felt before. All I could do was smile. She is the next big thing.

On a few side notes. The music was very good. I loved Giselle's song in the park. The CGI animals were well done. The scenes with Pip the chipmunk are hilarious. Overall, "Enchanted," in all its predictability, is one of the great achievements in film this year. It could have easily sunk into camp, but instead it succeeds mainly because of Amy Adam's breathtaking performance.