Some brilliant folks over at the National Film Board of Canada have come up with a unique and fun campaign for Oscar-nominated animated short Madame Tutli-Putli. Each visitor to the site can “unlock” a frame of the film each day. If all 23,287 frames are unlocked, then the entire film will be available for streaming on the site.
Not only is this a clever social media outreach, but it provides a way for people outside Canada to actually see the film, alleviating a common problem that many short films face. In my opinion, the film is a lock for the Oscar, and I’d heartily encourage you to participate in this innovative marketing campaign. They’re even giving away 200 copies of the DVD to random frame unlockers.
By the way, this is the NFB’s 70th Oscar nomination (they’ve won 12 times), and the fourth in the past four years.
Well-done, NFB!
Aachi and Ssipak (Achi-wa ssipak) (Director: Jo Beom-jin): There’s not much point in trying to analyze a film about a dystopic future world where the source of energy is human feces, but I can say that this animated feature from Korea was loads of fun. Our titular characters are a couple of lowlifes trying to get by in this miserable future by stealing juicybars, the government’s reward for each citizen’s, uh, contribution to the energy supply. The fact that these druggy popsicles are highly addictive has created some problems, not least of which is the emergence of a whole swarm of addicts whose bodies can no longer produce the required material. These smurf-like creatures band together to form the Diaper Gang and terrorize the police and anyone else trying to control the supply. The plot is a little more complicated, but this basic premise means lots of action scenes between the police, the Diaper Gang and our heroes. Ssipak’s infatuation with a porn star with prodigious pooping abilities leads them into a rescue mission, since she’s been kidnapped by the Diaper Gang. If it all sounds ridiculous, it is, but you have to give the filmmakers some credit for originality. Some of the best parts of this film (and any film which satirizes the future) were the mock ads and public service announcements telling people how to maximize their poop. This foul-mouthed, politically incorrect, scatalogical and gleefully violent film is probably not suitable for actual children, but it will appeal to the stunted adolescent that lives within most of us.
Trailer (no subtitles)
English subtitled DVD available from YesAsia.com (Region 3 NTSC)
(7/10)
October 28 is World Animation Day and our National Film Board is hosting Get Animated!, a series of screenings and presentations on the subject across the country. The best part? Everything is FREE! (Our tax dollars at work, yet again!). The Toronto Mediatheque at 150 John Street (at the corner of Queen, across from the nasty “Scotiabank” megaplex cinemas) has a full programme running from Thursday October 25th through Sunday the 28th.
I’d particularly recommend the October 25th presentation and discussion of Madame Tutli Putli, a jaw-dropping and eerie puppet animation that features the most realistic eyes I’ve ever seen in an animated film. The film has already picked up two awards and is a favourite to win an Oscar.
More information about other countries’ participation is available at the web site of the Association Internationale du Film d’Animation, where it is referred to as International Animation Day.
Persepolis (Directors: Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud): Based upon the graphic novels which were blockbusters in France (and now published in
one volume), Persepolis faithfully brings Marjane Satrapi’s story and images to the screen and then wonderfully surpasses them. Growing up in Iran under the repression of first the Shah’s dictatorship and then that of the Islamic Republic was not easy, even for someone like Satrapi whose family had money and connections. The film grabs our sympathy through several strongly-drawn (if you’ll forgive the pun) characters, from her saucy grandmother to her dashing political dissident uncle Anoush. But it’s ultimately the story of Marjane herself that carries us along. Her developing political awareness is connected to her personal history of displacement and the ordinary “feeling different” of adolescence.
What makes the story even more powerful is the superb animation. Two-dimensional and for the most part in black and white, it nonetheless never feels less than thrilling, and just when I was finished shaking my head at some gorgeous and poetic flourish, there was another one. I haven’t seen a film that was this consistently innovative for a long time. And yet it didn’t feel showy, as if it were the latest CGI technology trying to draw attention to itself. I had the feeling of looking over the shoulder of an intensely talented artist doodling in her notebook while telling me the most incredible story.
Best of all, at a time when many people are thinking of Iran as a potential enemy, it’s crucial to see a human story from a place where the civilization is thousands of years old. There isn’t much history in the film, but what’s there is presented simply. I was left wanting the film to continue both backwards and forwards in time, and desperately hoping along with Satrapi that the future is brighter for the long-suffering people of Iran.
Teaser
Trailer
Official Site
(9/10)
Ratatouille (Director: Brad Bird, USA, 2007): My first thought upon seeing an animated rat cooking in the kitchen of a French restaurant was “Wow! I hope this film can get kids interested in good food.” So I hope we don’t end up seeing Ratatouille Happy Meals at McDonald’s. Seriously, although the main theme of the film was being “true to yourself” or something like that, I was just impressed that a film aimed at kids would take the risk of trying to bring something adult and exotic (and some would say snobby) within their reach. Especially at a time when the food offered to the majority of us is so bland and unhealthy.
As always, Pixar have outdone themselves. I skipped Cars after hearing a few less-than-stellar reviews, but am glad I saw this. The attention to detail is simply stunning, and the food looks real enough that I could almost smell and taste it. Thomas Keller, of Napa destination The French Laundry, was a consultant on the film and it shows. (Maybe The French Laundry could offer Ratatouille Happy Meals. It would be great if they could get the price under $100. Ok, not funny.)
Food blogger Meg Hourihan and her husband Jason Kottke have both posted better reviews than mine, so I’ll stop here. Besides, I’m suddenly a little bit hungry…
P.S. As someone who works in the wine business, it was funny to see the very special 1961 Château Latour at the heart of a key scene.
Official site for the film
(9/10)
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