I. The Mystery of the Third Planet [1981] – ★★★★ Based on a book Alice’s Travel by Kir Bulychev, The Mystery of the Third Planet was directed by Roman Kachanov and tells of the interplanetary travel of one spacecraft on board of which there are: a ten year-old girl Alice, her father biologist Professor Seleznev…
Category: Animation
“Luca” Review: Endearing, but also Generic & Plotless
Luca [2021] – ★★1/2 Disney-Pixar’s Luca is an Italian Riviera-set animation that tells a story of a merman Luca and his family living underwater and having a hostile relationship with people living on land. Luca is a boy curious about the outside world, though, and soon becomes very interested in the “land” people. He meets…
“Chico & Rita” Review: Uneven, but Potent & Memorable
Before La La Land (2016), there was Chico & Rita, an adult Spanish animation which was nominated for an Academy Award and won the prestigious Spanish Goya Award for best animation. It tells the story of two star-crossed lovers, Chico and Rita, who meet and quickly fall in love in Havana, Cuba, and whose turbulent professional journeys make their love a real torment. Chico is a talented pianist with high ambitions and Rita is a stunning beauty with a voice of an angel and a desire to make it big. Pursuing the dreams of fame, both do not even realise how far from each other their destinies could take them.
Soviet “Fairy Tale” Animations: The Scarlet Flower, The Little Humpbacked Horse & Thumbelina
I. The Scarlet Flower [1952] – ★★★★1/2 This animation is based on a story of 1858 by Sergei Aksakov who, in turn, re-worked the tale of Beauty and the Beast . In The Scarlet Flower, three daughters of one wealthy merchant request from their father overseas presents. The eldest daughter wants a diamond tiara, the…
“Soul” Review: Fun & Touching, even if a tad Random
Soul [2020] – ★★★★1/2 🎹 A hectic, but wonderful celebration of life, and a moving animated ode to New York City’s jazz scene. This new animation comes from the creators of Inside Out (2015), and is about a music teacher and aspiring jazz pianist, Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) who dies by falling into New York…
“Tekkonkinkreet” (“Treasure Town”) Review: Wondrous & Hard-Hitting
Tekkonkinkreet [2006] – ★★★★1/2 🛒Grim realism collides with childhood innocence in a striking, kaleidoscopic artwork. Based on a manga Tekkon kinkurito (1993) by Taiyo Matsumoto, Treasure Town is a well-made animation about two orphaned boys: street-wise and brave Kuro (Black), and lovable and innocent Shiro (White). Street-raised “Yin and Yang” of the cruel world around…
Soviet “Winter” Animations: The Snow Maiden, The Twelve Months & The Snow Queen
I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, and I would like to wish all my readers and followers a very Happy New Year! It is that time of the year when one would like to come home, make a hot cocoa, switch on the TV and cosily tuck themselves under a duvet. Then, what better way to spend winter holidays than by watching some wonderful winter-themed animations? Below are three classic Russian-language animations from the Soyuzmultfilm Studio.
Classic French Animations: Fantastic Planet, and The King & The Mockingbird
I. Fantastic Planet (La Planete Sauvage) [1973] – ★★★★1/2 Once in awhile comes one animation which is so powerful in its message and so unusual in its presentation, it becomes quite unforgettable. Fantastic Planet is precisely such adult-themed animation, co-produced between France and Czechoslovakia. A winner of the Cannes Special Prize in 1973, this French-language animation…
The Winter in July Blogathon: The Sword in the Stone (1963)
The Sword in the Stone [1963] – ★★★ My second post for Debbie’s Winter in July Blogathon is on Disney’s animation The Sword in the Stone (1963), and, like my previous post, take note of spoilers! Once again I would like to extend my thanks to Debbie for hosting such an amazing blogathon, and also check out…
The Winter in July Blogathon: Frozen (2013)
There is nothing like snowy and wintery films to cool us all down in the middle of this summer, and Debbie at Moon in Gemini hosts The Winter in July Blogathon for this very purpose. For this fun blogathon, I chose to write on animated films Frozen (2013) and The Sword in the Stone (1963)….
“Millennium Actress” Review: Transcendental & Beautiful
Millennium Actress [2001] – ★★★★1/2 A cinematic journey to stardom and to finding answers as to identity, history and inexplicability of love, while “playing” with time and fusing reality and make-believe. “All the world’s a stage, [and] all the men and women [are] merely players”, famously stated William Shakespeare. It appears that this quote is…
“Big Fish & Begonia” Review: Other-Worldly & Beautiful, even if a tad Confusing
Big Fish & Begonia [2016] – ★★★★1/2 Often perplexing, but still uncanny, almost mystical and visually-stunning cinematic experience. This fantastical tale is about Chun, a girl who is a member of a tribe of mythical beings (“neither humans nor gods, but others”) living underwater, capable of controlling tides and knowing the secrets of nature. As…
“Coco” Review: Engrossing, Mesmerising & Heart-felt
Coco [2017] – ★★★★★ A fun, twisty tribute to the Mexican folklore, showcasing touching love for music and one’s family. Coco is a delightful Pixar-produced Academy Awards nominee of 2018. Taking the Mexican folklore and tradition on board, it tells the story of Miguel, a boy living with his family of zapateros or shoemakers in…
“Tokyo Godfathers” Review: Socially Astute & Uplifting
Tokyo Godfathers [2003]- ★★★★1/2 👶 A fun and heart-warming Christmas tale about homeless “misfits” that sheds light on many of Japan’s social problems, including alcoholism, poverty and discrimination. The co-director and scriptwriter of this little gem is no other than Satoshi Kon, the man who brought to the masses such great animated films as Perfect…
“Miss Hokusai” Review: Idiosyncratic, Poetic & Inspiring
Miss Hokusai [2015] – ★★★1/2 🎨A gentle anime-biography, unveiling the character of Katsushika Ōi and the mysteries of art-making. Based on a manga series by Hinako Sugiura, Miss Hokusai is a Japanese animation about the daughter of the famous real-life Japanese painter Hokusai. Her name was Katsushika Ōi. A great artist herself, Ōi helped her…
Corto Maltese: The Ballad of the Salt Sea (2002): Les “Jeux Interdits”
The Ballad of the Salt Sea [2002] – ★★★ “He’s dreaming with his eyes open, and those that dream with their eyes open are dangerous, for they do not know when their dreams come to an end” (Hugo Pratt, taking inspiration from the famous quote by T.E. Lawrence). “When I want to relax, I read…
“The Red Turtle” Review: Simple, Yet Profound
The Red Turtle [2016] – ★★★★1/2 🐢 A simple story of survival morphs into a poetic, symbolism-driven tale of the man’s connection with nature and the meaning of life. The Red Turtle is the 2017 best animation Oscar nominee that surprised people in a way it masterfully combined visual simplicity and metaphoric depth. The film…
“Wolf Children” Review: Heart-Warming & Relatable
Wolf Children [2012] – ★★★★ A touching, beautifully-presented story that makes a stance against discrimination, encouraging learning to live with one’s differences. Wolf Children is a 2012 animation directed by Mamoru Hosoda, the man behind very creative The Girl Who Leapt through Time (2006) and equally inventive The Boy and the Beast (2015). This film…
Studio Ghibli: “Only Yesterday” & “Kiki’s Delivery Service”
I. Only Yesterday [1991] – ★★★★1/2 “What “drives” animation is the will of the characters” (Hayao Miyazaki). Only Yesterday has a plot filled with highly emotional undercurrents and intelligence: a 27-year old unmarried woman, Taeko from Tokyo, visits countryside while reminiscing over her childhood of when she was a shy and creative fifth grader. Through…
Makoto Shinkai: “Your Name” & “5 Centimetres per Second”
Your Name [2016] – ★★★★★ 📆 An emotionally intense, unforgettable viewing experience, filled with “coming-of-age” fun and spiritual longings. Showcasing Makoto Shinkai’s talent for presenting emotional connections, fully-fledged characters and breathtakingly beautiful, detailed animation, Your Name is a romantic story of an accidental body-swap between country girl Mitsuha and city boy Taki, who, in reality,…
Spotlight on Film 