The “least edgy film at Sundance” is a heartwarming and delightfully wacky tale about a little girl and a strange and curious monster called Fing.
Here is the film synopsis for “Fing!”: “A demanding little girl and her parents, the Meeks, battle an outrageously entitled viscount to protect their rare, furry, one-eyed Fing from those fixated on exploiting this wondrous creature.”
The movie was adapted from a short book by the same name written by David Walliams, who has been compared to children’s author Roald Dahl.
“It’s a bit science-fiction in that it’s kind of a bit crazy,” said Mia Wasikowska, who plays Mrs. Meek. ”We thought it was perfect for cinema.”
“Fing!” is one of only two family matinee films at Sundance this year.
“I’m hoping it’s a really fabulous family film that the whole family can see together,” Director Jeffrey Walker told Deseret News. “I’m almost certain it’s the least edgy family film at Sundance this year.”
Taika Waititi shines as a villain
Taika Waititi shines as the “outrageously entitled viscount” who wants to capture Fing and put him in a cage, along with the other animals he keeps in cages at his wildlife park. The actor takes on the role with goofy sincerity and makes for an excellent love-to-hate kind of villain for the movie.
Up-and-coming actress Iona Bell makes a stellar breakout performance
Another star performance comes from the main character. Up-and-coming actress Iona Bell makes a stellar breakout performance as the bratty and spoiled young Myrtle. She manages to provide depth to a character much like Veruca Salt from the “Willy Wonka” canon.
“I’m really excited for people to see Myrtle’s deep connection,” Bell told the Deseret News. “Because when you first start the movie you think she’s this ungrateful brat, but as you continue, you see her journey and her deep emotions. She’s quite guarded. She doesn’t know how to express her emotions.”
This isn’t Bell’s only major motion picture as of late. The young actress is also one of the stars of the new “Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,” which comes out later this year.
Mr. and Mrs. Meek live up to their namesake
The parents in “Fing!” are Mr. and Mrs. Meek, and they live up to their names. They dote on Myrtle with a sort of fear and meekness that only makes her demands stronger. Blake Harrison plays Myrtle’s father, Mr. Meek, and Wasikowska takes on the role of Myrtle’s mother, Mrs. Meek.
Watching the humble librarians give in to Myrtle’s every wish provides a humorous and borderline silly demonstration of how difficult parenting can be.
“Every day was so much fun,” Harrison told the Deseret News. “I hope you can tell when you see the movie just how much fun the actors are having on set.”
A handcrafted puppet for Fing
The crux of the movie relies on the “wondrous creature” Fing, which is a puppet that designers handcrafted for the film. Direction on the film demanded an actual creature, rather than a computer generated illustration, and it makes the film that much more interesting to watch.
“Most of the effects were all on-camera, so we got to see Fing himself,” Waititi told the Deseret News. “We actually got to interact. That’s the dream acting.”
Watching the movie, it’s hard not to get attached to Fing, a quirky one-eyed monster who loves ’80s ballads.
“I think the most amazing thing for me was working out how are we going to film this one-eyed ball,” Walker told the Deseret News. “How do we give it character and personality and elicit emotion and all those sort of things? It was quite challenging. But the actors were beautiful. They brought so much to it.”
Australia provides a scenic backdrop for ‘Fing!’
“Fing!” was entirely filmed in Australia, and the rolling hills provide a beautiful and scenic backdrop for the movie.
“Getting up in Australia and just seeing the size of the sets and just how amazing everything looks, seeing everything come to life, that was just incredible,” said Kevin Cecil, the writer for the movie.