It helps to be a kid - or, at least, have one - to enjoy Nim's Island. Otherwise, you're likely to be wondering aloud about the short shrift given Nim's mother's demise in the belly of a whale and whether Jodie Foster is really the right casting choice as a love interest. For kids 12 and under and their parents, who long for a film they can comfortably watch together, Nim's Island is as good as it's going to get this year.
Nim (Abigail Breslin) and her father, Jack (Gerard Butler), a marine biologist, have taken up residence on a remote, otherwise uninhabited South Pacific island where Jack does his research and Nim spends a lot of time with her best friends: a pelican, a lizard and a sea lion, none of whom, mercifully, has the ability to speak. Nim also loves reading adventure novels by the famous author Alex Rover.
All is idyllic until Jack takes a two-day voyage to gather some very special plankton but doesn't return on schedule. Nim, who had begged to stay home alone, is in turmoil when an e-mail arrives (there are a lot of creature comforts on this remote island) from Alex Rover himself. Rover has hit a wall with his new book and is reaching out to Jack, the famous biologist, for some professional advice.
Alex, however, is not Alexander but Alexandra (Jodie Foster), an agoraphobic New York writer who is terrified to open her front door, let alone get involved in the death-defying adventures she (he) writes about. Nim's correspondence with Rover eventually conveys the hopelessness of her situation. Rover feels compelled to help and before long she is on her way to the island.
Foster is hardly known for her comedic talents, and in a film made for adults she might not have pulled it off. But kids need comedy painted in broad strokes and Foster's bony clumsiness and breathless attempts to overcome her fears work just fine for the elementary school set. She's perfect as the stock adult character in kids' comedies: the bumbling adult to whom kids feel superior. But in this case Nim badly needs her.
In the end, Nim's Island is about our need to find home and to people it with those we love. And it's about facing and overcoming our fears of the world beyond. That's a worthwhile place for a family film to go.
The DVD's special features are intriguing for both kids and adults. Children will love the "making of" featurettes with their behind-the-scenes glimpses of the animals and stars interacting. Most intriguing, however, is a collection of deleted scenes that constitute an entire subplot, that of the characters of Nim's favourite books, Huckleberry Finn and Alice in Wonderland, accompanying her through her many ordeals. The inclusion of the subplot would have made the film thematically much more complex but it may have been more than the wholesome producer Walden Media had bargained for.
After all, one scene that hit the cutting room floor shows Nim and Alexandra Rover lying in adjacent beds as Nim asks, "Are you real?" After Alexandra assures her that she is, indeed, real, Nim responds, "Sometimes I can't tell the difference."
@email:jsipe@thenational.ae
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20Profile
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SPECS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The%20specs
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A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Scoreline:
Manchester City 1
Jesus 4'
Brighton 0
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
RESULT
Bayern Munich 0 AC Milan 4
Milan: Kessie (14'), Cutrone (25', 43'), Calhanoglu (85')
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
