The dark fantasy film is not a family film and once again reunites Mads Mikkelsen with “Hannibal” maker Bryan Fuller.
In the course of his impressive career, actor Mads Mikkelsen (60) has already hit James Bond's double zero crown jewels with a rope, put together a certain Death Star and involuntarily sent Indiana Jones through time. In short: the blockbuster cinema loves the expressive Dane and he loves the dream factory. But he has also always remained loyal to smaller, quirky to bizarre film productions. He proves this once again with the – especially at the beginning – fairytale-like dark fantasy film “Dust Bunny”. However, passionate cinemagoers with young children should be told: “Dust Bunny” is endearingly childlike – but not suitable for children.
Scene from “Dust Bunny”
The (real?) monster under the bed – that's what it's all about
Eight-year-old Aurora (Sophie Sloan) is convinced with infantile certainty that there is a voracious “dust bunny” living under her bed – in this country, a woolly mouse. Her parents, of course, dismiss the whole thing as the fears of an overly imaginative girl, but soon after their assurances that there is nothing to be afraid, they are completely dead.
The question now is: Is Aurora's horror bunny under the bed really behind this, or does the disappearance of her parents without a trace have something to do with her mysterious neighbor (Mikkelsen)? His profession – at least in Aurora's childlike eyes – seems to be to go into battle against dragons and mythical creatures of all stripes. How practical! Without further ado, the girl scrapes together every cent she can find in her orphaned apartment and rings the doorbell of 5B with the order to hunt the big rabbit.
Scene from “Dust Bunny”
A well-rehearsed duo
Together with screenwriter and director Bryan Fuller (56), Mikkelsen brought one of the most horrific and fascinating horrors to television: Hannibal Lecter. Slipping into the shoes of Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins (88) for the series of the same name was akin to hubris – but Mikkelsen put his own personal stamp on the eloquent cannibal and proved in a duet with Fuller how fascinating the horrific can be.
In the renewed collaboration “Dust Bunny” things are similar and yet completely different. Here, behind the innocent imagination of a child, lurks the frightening and ultimately the realization that you have to face your fears yourself if you want to finally defeat them.
What sets “Dust Bunny” apart is the great chemistry between its unlikely leads. Mads Mikkelsen as a contract killer and new discovery Sophie Sloan as a brilliantly clever orphan naturally evoke associations with “Léon: The Professional”. Fuller probably deliberately quotes a scene from Luc Besson's (66) stroke of genius, in which a man and girl sit opposite each other at a small kitchen table and a wad of money is supposed to change hands. For Natalie Portman (44), who was very young at the time, her role in 1994 meant her breakthrough in Hollywood, which led to her winning an Oscar. The great Sloan could be expected to have a similar career, or at least wished for.
It's also nice that Sigourney Weaver (76) was able to land a small role. She plays the powerful woman in the background who usually passes on the contract killings to Mikkelsen's character and now has to realize with a certain jealousy that she is no longer playing first fiddle.
Scene from “Dust Bunny”
Started strong, slowed down a bit
“Dust Bunny” works, especially at the beginning, and also provides visual reasons for going to the cinema. Fuller is known for his excellent imagery; in his new film he combines dark rooms and alleys with almost fairytale magic. Just as if we were perceiving them through the shy but enthusiastic eyes of a child.
The beginning is also convincing because it leaves a lot of narrative in the dark. Does the murderous “Dust Bunny” really exist, or is it just his imagination? In this part the film is reminiscent of Guillermo del Toro's (61) eerily beautiful work “Pan's Labyrinth”.
In the end, Fuller provides a very clear and quite entertaining, but still grossly exaggerated, answer to this question. At the latest when a dozen gangsters, the FBI and the main characters all play “the floor is lava”. Without wanting to reveal too much about the reasons for this: the body count shoots up rapidly towards the end of the film and makes it clear why “Dust Bunny” is not a film for children despite its childlike flair.
Conclusion
The dark fantasy film “Dust Bunny” has two strong duos: The fact that director Bryan Fuller and actor Mads Mikkelsen harmonize has been proven since “Hannibal”. Meanwhile, it was impossible to predict how well the mime would work with young star Sophie Sloan. Together they face their fears, various killers and lots of inner bugs in a bizarre and charming way, which ultimately only a mental spring cleaning can get rid of.
3.5 out of 5 wool mice chased away with a broom