Anomalisa (2015)

Genre

Animation | Comedy | Drama

Directors

Charlie Kaufman | Duke Johnson

Country

USA

Voice Cast

David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan

Storyline

Crippled by the mundanity of his life, self-help author Michael Stone (David Thewlis) experiences something out of the ordinary.

Opinion

After the unfortunate distribution of "Synecdoche, New York", Charlie Kaufman and his unconventional works have found nothing but closed doors. That's why he, and his team, decided to raised the film's budget on Kickstarter so as to "produce this unique and beautiful film outside of the typical Hollywood studio system where we believe that you, the audience, would never be allowed to enjoy this brilliant work the way it was originally conceived". The goal was to make something pure, something beautiful, and that's' exactly what they did.

"Anomalisa" is a brilliant, very original, intriguing and thought-provoking dramedy on depression and loneliness that could have originated from the mind of Charlie Kaufman only.

The film is extremely simple, yet extremely complex and, in a short amount of time - 90 minutes only - it manages to provoke a thought about the dilemmas brought by midlife crisis in a society where individuality is completely nullified.

From the very first minutes the viewer begins to wonder why all the characters except the protagonist have the same voice and the same inflection, whether men, women or children. The story gives us the answer, as we face the story of a man in existential crisis that feels surrounded by a world made up of identical people. 

The name of the hotel at which Michael Stone is staying - Fregoli Hotel - is not random at all. In fact, the Fregoli delusion is a disorder in which a person has a delusional belief that different people are actually a single individual who changes appearance to persecute him. And that's the exact portrayal of the protagonist.

But then there's Lisa, the anomaly. She is something new, something different, something extraordinary, and her voice, so sweet and cuddly, represents a change in Michael's life, finally opening his eyes.

Technically speaking, Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson directed a sad story with a lot of sensitivity. The stop-motion animation is brilliantly done and deserves to be praised because obviously a lot of work and effort was put into it.

And lastly, all the characters are brought to life by excellent voice work from David Thewlis (Michael Stone), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Lisa) and Tom Noonan (everybody else).

Definitely a must-see for the Kaufman lovers. And don't let you trick by the animation, this is not a film for kids.

Our time is limited, we forget that. - Michael Stone

Boy & the World (2013)

Original Title

O Menino e o Mundo

Genre

Animation | Adventure

Director

Alê Abreu

Country

Brazil

Voice Cast

Vinicius Garcia, Lu Horta, Marco Aurélio Campos, Felipe Zilse, Alê Abreu

Storyline

Cuca (Vinicius Garcia) is a boy who lives in a distant world, in a small village in the interior of his mythical country. One day, he sees his father leaving in search of work, embarking on a train towards to an unknown capital. The weeks that follow are of anguish and confusing memories. Until then, one night, a breath of wind breaks into the bedroom window and takes the boy to a distant and magical place.

Opinion

In times when 3D animation is trending, Brazilian Alê Abreu outperforms most of the animation flicks with a film that may seem childish at first glance, but I assure you it is not.

Featuring a touching story of a small boy trying to reunite his family, "Boy & the World" is a well-made, poetic film that has more heart than the majority of movies for kids.

The colorful animation, which indeed stands out from the crowd, is perhaps the best part of the film: the drawings, made with endless imagination and that go from pastels to wax crayons, oil painting, to collage - like a kid would do -, create such spectacular images that make words superfluous. The most important is the way these elements were put together. Abreu doesn't try to find aesthetic perfection, instead he tries to make the whole film touch the viewer's emotional strings.

Along with its sublime and ipnotic score, the film has a different, artistic way to express everything, from landscapes to people, war to nature, and feelings. 

"Boy & the World" is not just a kids film. It actually is suitable for all ages because everyone can find some food for thought. In fact, while the children will enjoy the adventure of the little boy, everyone else, mostly young-adults and adults, will reflect on the working world, human rights, ecology and poverty.

Don't let you trick by the language: the film is almost dialogue-free and the few dialogues are in backwards Portuguese, meaning you don't need to understand that.