Movies You Might Have Missed: Jim Carrey in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events

The black comedy, which covers the first three gothic novels for children by Daniel Handler, was intended to rival the Harry Potter franchise and stars Jim Carrey as the evil Count Olaf

Jim Carrey stars as the wicked Count Olaf in the 2004 film adaptation of Daniel Handler’s novels

Critics have been raving about the latest Netflix triumph A Series of Unfortunate Events, written by Daniel Handler and adapted from his own series of gothic novels for children. The series blends the sensibilities of Wes Anderson and Tim Burton while covering the events of the first four books, and cannot help but call to mind the 2004 big screen adaptation, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.

The film was envisioned as the first of a franchise that might rival the Harry Potter series, but a sequel never materialised despite a healthy box office return. The production was undoubtedly troubled, not least because producer Scott Rudin left the project as a result of budgetary concerns while director Barry Sonnenfeld was replaced by Brad Silberling, a man initially unfamiliar with the source material.

The film version covers the first three novels and stars Jim Carrey as the villainous Count Olaf. Lemony Snicket, released the same year as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, just about marks the end of the imperious phase of his career that began with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective a decade earlier. As Olaf, a bad actor and worse person, Carrey is in typically manic form and is ideally suited to the material.

The film, like the book series, opens with a warning (delivered by Jude Law as Lemony Snicket): “The movie you are about to see is extremely unpleasant.” Not long after, the three Baudelaire children are rocked to discover their parents have been killed in a mysterious fire. They are placed in the custody of their distant cousin, Olaf, whose sole motive behind taking in the orphans is that he hopes to steal their parents’ enormous fortune.

This is a pitch-black comedy and one can understand the concerns of the production team. Olaf’s plan involves marrying the eldest child, Violet, when she comes of age. This is problematic enough before one even considers the fact that they are distant relatives. The production design and costumes flawlessly capture the spirit of the books and the script, while episodic, retains the dark charm of Handler’s novels. Carrey combined the voices of Bela Lugosi and Orson Welles for the role and enjoyed the experience so much that he was desperate for the franchise to materialise. It is a pity that never happened, but at least we have this superior family entertainment to savour.