Category: Animated

Animated, World Cinema

I Lost My Body Review: Animated April

Even for their comparable centrality to daily life, hands are rarely granted the same artistic fascination as eyes in terms of metaphorical and poetic consideration. Proverbs and clichés alike lean on ideas of sight. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Literature and cinema follow the same path, whether it’s horror stories fixating on visions and illusions or the very idea of voyeurism as a touchpoint for artists from Alfred Hitchcock to Gillian Flynn. Sight dominates sensory storytelling, yet it is eschewed in favor of the tactile significance of hands and touches in “I Lost My Body” (2019). Jérémy Clapin’s film offers the parallel narratives of Naoufel (Hakim Faris) as he yearns for Gabrielle (Victoire du Bois), and Naoufel’s hand which embarks on a perilous journey to reunite with its body. Continue reading I Lost My Body Review: Animated April

jmamennLeave a comment
Animated, Film Reviews

Wolfwalkers Review: Animated April

Ireland-based studio Cartoon Saloon has produced four feature-length animated films since its inception, and “Wolfwalkers” (2020) is their masterpiece. The third in a sequence of stories rooted in Irish folklore, “Wolfwalkers” builds on the artistry of preceding projects “The Secret of the Kells” (2009) and “Song of the Sea” (2014). Continue reading Wolfwalkers Review: Animated April

jmamennLeave a comment
Animated

A Whisker Away Review: Animated April

Back in 2020 “A Whisker Away” (Nakitai watashi wa neko o kaburu ) was meant to premier at the cinema in Japan and the USA but because of the Corona virus outbreak it was picked up by Netflix instead and premiered worldwide on Netflix. It was a blessing in disguise, as it allowed the film to be seen by a wider audience, and it’s a film that should be seen by as many people as possible for it’s charming, feel-good-factor and it’s rather attractive animation. It may not be the most visually impressive animated film to emerge out of Japan in the last five years, but there’s something about “A Whisker Away” that draws you in and keeps you invested in the narrative and the characters. Continue reading A Whisker Away Review: Animated April

jmamennLeave a comment
Animated, Directors, Female Characters, Film Festivals, History, Reviews, World Cinema

GFF2022 Review: Where is Anne Frank

Year: 2021 Runtime: 99 minutes Director: Ari Folman Writer: Ari Folman Starring: Ruby Stokes, Emily Carey By Calum Cooper Anne Frank is a girl whose story everyone has heard; a Jewish teenager whose life was taken far too soon by the evils of the Holocaust. Yet her diary, published by her father, has ensured that her creative talent and emotional insights have lived on for … Continue reading GFF2022 Review: Where is Anne Frank

calumcooperatthemovies1 Comment
Animated, Documentaries, End of the Year Recap, Female Characters, Female Filmmaker, Female Filmmakers, Film Reviews, Women in Film

Top 5 Favorite Films of 2021

Am I the only one that felt like 2021 was just 2020 on repeat? Thank whatever gods may be for the movies to help us all cope. In no particular order, here are my favorites for this year. There is a little something for everyone, so enjoy! 1. Flee (Director: Jonas Poher Rasmussen): As a lover of animation, I am in awe of how “Flee” … Continue reading Top 5 Favorite Films of 2021

jmamennLeave a comment
Animated, Personal Essays, Retrospect Reviews

Retrospective: 20th Anniversary of Monsters, Inc.

By Joan Amenn Back when Pixar was still a relatively new up and coming animation studio, the plot of their fourth film being a “buddy movie” didn’t sound all that exciting. After all their first and third films had the same theme. But “Monsters Inc.” (2001) proved to be quite different from the rest and remains one of their best conceived and executed movies. From … Continue reading Retrospective: 20th Anniversary of Monsters, Inc.

jmamennLeave a comment