What an opening! Wes Anderson truly nailed it in adapting Roald Dahl's children's talk "Fantastic Mr. Fox" to the screen. The movie set a tone of energy and optimism to the 53rd London Film Festival - something I believe we all need in these harsh times.

As an actress, I felt very inspired by the brilliant voice work done by George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman and the rest of the cast. Meryl Streep sadly couldn't attend the opening, but Clooney and the others definitely lit up the room with positive energy. It's important as an artist to get this kind of creative ‘input' and inspiration from fellow craftsmen, and this evening I can honestly say that I was greatly impressed.


Roald Dahl's story of the fantastic Mr. Fox has many lessons not only for children, but for all of humankind. It's a cute children's story, but I walked out with the deeper feeling that, as Mr. Fox says, "we're wild animals." Because if we really unleash human nature, aren't we all wild animals after all? And if we allow us to be just that - wild but truthful - maybe we would save ourselves and our society from a lot of misunderstandings and conflicts...


After the film, the Opening Gala continued across town and it really was a night of celebration. I just say let's hope that "Fantastic Mr. Fox" can inspire all of us to move forward with positive energy into a bright and truthful future!

Solveig Haugen
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