About this column:
Animated films aren’t just limited to Disney– in fact, there is an abundance of films ranging in theme and style from around the world. With such a wide variety of movies to choose from, figuring out where to begin can be a daunting task. Animated Fix is a column that focuses on a different animated feature each week and concentrates on the key elements such as methodology, plot, and technique.
Dimanche/Sunday
Here are five of the films that made the list for the 2012 Academy Award/Oscar nominations. Although a good portion of them aren’t available for your viewing pleasure online (yet), most of their trailers are available. Feast your eyes!
Dimanche/Sunday (Patrick Doyon)
Reminiscent of Courage the Cowardly Dog’s character design, this is a short loaded with subtly silly moments through the perspective of a young boy. Surrounded by his oddball family, incidentally made up of all old folks, we’re led to witness what his Sunday has in store for him. Also in abundance are animals, daydreams, and a really rattly train. Although the short appears fairly plain, Doyon manages to make it peak in pizazz with having a flavor all its own, particularly in being plentiful with simple moments. What sets it apart from other shorts, most of all, is that it does a perfectly appealing job of keeping viewers engaged without CGI-animation. An ode to not lazy, but quirky Sundays, this short deserves kudos for its effortless enticement.
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg)
http://www.shortoftheweek.com/2012/01/24/the-fantastic-flying-books-of-mr-morris-lessmore/
A man of many books, Mr. Morris Lessmore lives humbly in a Clark Gable-esque town, reading the days away. However, when a horrific storm pummels his pleasant routine into a mere picture of the past, Mr. Lessmore is left to find a new r’aison d’etre. Walking through the wreckage of his once bound but now torn book pages, he is led to a house filled with flying books. From then on out, his life becomes intertwined with the winged stories, acting as their caretaker and librarian. Doing an overall ace job of using CGI animation, the short seems to convey layered meanings of finding inspiration in new places, and the importance of public libraries. While the music theme does grow slightly old after a bit, the animation is engaging; it proves to be simple, but not left without fair detail. For a short with absolutely no words, there’s still plenty to be said about this one.
La Luna (Enrico Casarosa)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igqGdTQIX30
What would the Animated Shorts section of the Oscar’s be like without a token Pixar contender? Most unusual, undoubtably. The studio’s latest short illustrates a self-proclaimed “fable” following a young boy’s first night out to sea (and in essence, his coming-of-age) with his father and grandfather. Ultimately, the boy must choose between the two, regarding the method of his future profession. Feeling the tear ducts puddling already? Don’t worry; the salt-water spillage is fitting, and I’ve got my bucket ready. Although there’s only a 30-second preview clip currently available online, when Pixar’s next feature length film, Brave, hits the theaters this summer (June 22, 2012), show up early for the previews and you’ll be able to catch this anticipated short.
A Morning Stroll (Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2B23Df9GU0
Only giving us a glimpse of finely tuned, gooey, and delicious animation, A Morning Stroll depicts something of almost a show-down between two locals of the city: a chicken and a man. Switching from soft black and whites to vibrant and luminous blasts of color, Orchard does a splendid job of keeping viewers enticed. While not quite knowing what to expect next, suffice to say, the 30-second preview keeps me wanting to see more. Taking the style of art popularly utilized with the early Mickey Mouse cartoons and shifting with much more modern and detailed representation of our current CGI-dominated times, such a juxtaposition is but another clever asset to the short. Appealing in its stylistic designs, fitting music, and fast paced preview, the short looks to be an inventive and unique idea put onto paper, and set into motion.
Wild Life (Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby)
http://www.nfb.ca/film/wild_life_clip_1
Distinctly animated with stop-motion and detailed painting, Wild Life shows some harshly funny realities a rootin’, tootin’ Englishman faces when he leaves his suave life of booze, badminton, and birds behind himself. Mainlining the general idea of adapting to a new environment, animators Forbis and Tilby manage to keep both humor and beauty flowing in great abundance. “Englishmen? They’re out here with a whole ‘lotta dollars, and no sense,” says one of the many English-bashing townspeople regarding their happy-go-lucky and logic-lacking counterparts in the short. Different than most animated shorts, the art seems to be done primarily with painting, making for a strenuous effort, but gratifying result. If you’re a fan of the more well known series Wallace & Gromit’s type of humor, you’re sure to enjoy this jewel.
