By now you may have figured out that one of my favorite things to do on this site is to turn people onto whatever I’m digging currently. What can I say, when I love something I feel compelled to share. Today what I have fallen in love with is a little film called The Secret of Kells.
In many ways this seems like the little film that could. Coming from a little start-up animation studio in Ireland the film quickly gained buzz from various international film festival and was eventually nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards.
The story of The Secret of Kells centers around a young monk named Brendan who lives in medieval Ireland in the Abby of Kells. This is a time of great stress in Ireland with the threat of attack from Vikings being an ever present and looming dread. Brendan, who is an aspiring illuminator, becomes enamored when Brother Aidan arrives in Kells bearing with him the unfinished Book of Iona (later renamed the Book of Kells). Aidan quickly becomes a mentor for the aspiring artist and his influence (along with a playful faerie named Aisling) eventually leads Brendan to butt heads with the Abbot, who is both Brendan’s guardian and uncle.
The first thing that struck me about The Secret of Kells was how stunningly beautiful it was. The film’s art style is inspired directly by the historical Book of Kells. The result is an amazing visual treat bursting with life. Each frame seems to have been meticulously detailed but the real magic comes when these images are put in motion. Taking a cue from its artistic influence (which was made in a time before there was such a thing as depth of field) plays with framing, depth, and movement that gives the visual impression of a manuscript coming to life.
This visual tour-de-force is then coupled with a tale that can best be described as exemplifying the character and personality of Ireland. The story blends seamlessly between the mysticism of ancient Ireland and the faith later embraced. Furthermore, the spirit of these characters shines through here. They are playful and jovial while also bearing hardship with stoic determination. They are lovers of knowledge while never losing the childlike wonder of the world around them. In a way the personify the Irish spirit that I have always found absolutely fascinating and enamoring.
Perhaps that fascination makes me a bit biased towards this sort of thing but I think even without it this would be a magical piece of artistic film-making fully worthy of the accolades it has received. As such, The Secret of Kells earns my recommendation. Now go and check it out and let me know what you think.
For this second edition of my “Recommends” series (I did aways intend for it to be a series) I wanted to narrow my focus a bit and spotlight great pieces of animation. This are just a handful of films and short series that you may not have heard of but really should. So without further ado, I give you the ‘toons:
“If you make money from war, you’re scum. If you can’t make money from bounty hunting, you’re an idiot!”
Exiled and disillusioned, the Italian World War I fighter pilot, Porco, scratches out a lonely existence as a bounty hunter in the skies above the Mediterranean. Porco’s reclusive tendencies get interrupted, though, when a young mechanic and a rival American pilot cross his path.
This is one of those films that can appeal to just about everyone. Transitioning effortlessly from comedy to action to tenderness this film becomes an affecting experience that sneaks up on the viewer. Add on to that the chance to hear the very British Cary Elwes do a convincing Texan accent and you’ve got one fine film.
“Oh, what a pretty name! Be sure to take good care of it, dear!”
Porco Rosso came from the director Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli and I’ve become convinced that they cannot make a bad film. The film that is often considered Miyazaki’s masterpiece, though, is 2001’s Spirited Away.
Spirited Away is the story of a young girl who wanders into a magical world of spirits. There she is forced to challenge a witch to save both her parents and herself. Heartfelt and beautiful, this film gently explores themes of excess, identity, and redemption all while creating a world of wonder and imagination. In a way it is like Alice in Wonderland for a modern day.
“Time waits for no one.”
I admit that I already mentioned this film in my first “Recommends” article but it is worth mentioning again. Charming and believable characters, an imaginative story, and great animation from Mad House Studios make this a film worth seeing (or seeing again).
“Please don’t tell people our bakery’s motorbike ran you over.”
If I had to describe this series in one word it would be “crazy”. If I had two words I would say “batsh-t insane”. FLCL (or Fooly Cooly) is the story of a small town boy, the robot that came out of his forehead, and the Vespa riding alien girl that won’t leave him alone. If that doesn’t make any sense then don’t worry because at its core FLCL is about adolescence, growing up, and all the insane feelings that come from that. If you can stand a little craziness then check out this six episode series but if not then stay far far away.
“Are you enjoying the Time of Eve?”
Time of Eve is a short six episode series about a time in the near future when humans and androids have become almost indistinguishable from each other. While exploring themes like creativity, prejudice, and understanding this series maintains a thoughtful and lighthearted atmosphere that avoids the tropes and cliches of similarly themed science fiction stories. What makes it even better is that the series is available for free (legally) online at Crunchyroll so there is no excuse missing out on it.
Those are my recommendations. Let us know if you have any of your own.
I have had many blog posts floating around in my head but none of them have really come to fruition. At the same time, though, I have been coming across many great films that I always want to recommend. That’s what I’m doing now. All of these can be found on Netflix (which is also where the descriptions come from) so check them out. My own comments are below in blue.
Persepolis
Marjane (voiced by Chiara Mastroianni) just wants to be an ordinary kid, but that isn’t easy in 1978 Iran. This profound animated film follows Marjane’s childhood in a repressive society, her adolescence in France and her return to Tehran as an adult. Based on Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novel, this Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature Film also features the vocal talents of Catherine Deneuve and Simon Abkarian.
I just saw this the other night. It’s not only a very interesting story of this one woman’s life but also will help to explain just how Iran got the way it is today.
God Grew Tired of Us
After raising themselves in the desert along with thousands of other “lost boys,” Sudanese refugees John, Daniel and Panther have found their way to America, where they experience electricity, running water and supermarkets for the first time. Capturing their wonder at things Westerners take for granted, this documentary, an award winner at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, paints an intimate portrait of strangers in a strange land.
A fascinating documentary that tells about the experiences of these refugees in America. I like how it didn’t simply parade a cause before the audience but instead simply looked into a few peoples’ lives on a personal and honest level.
Kill!
Director Kihachi Okamoto’s inky action-comedy (based on the same novel as Akira Kurosawa’s Sanjuro, Kill!) pokes fun at samurai flicks and Italian giallos. When two swordsmen roll into a new town — one a former farmer and the other a retired samurai warrior — they intend to lead normal lives. But the troubles of a band of rebels fighting the vile local clan leader convince the pair to pick up their weapons again.
Sadly, I couldn’t track down a trailer for this one. This film wears all the vestments of an old samurai flick while also displaying a cheeky and subtle sense of humor.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Inspired by author Yasutaka Tsutsui’s novel, this anime follows the adventures of Makoto Konno, a seemingly ordinary high school student who makes a startling revelation when she learns that she’s been endowed with the ability to travel back in time. Following a series of frivolous “time leaps,” Makoto learns that her powers have a negative impact on the people around her and sets out to correct the effects of her actions.
It’s an old premise that’s been done many times over but this film manages to keep it fresh with beautiful animation, believable and likable characters, and a surprisingly down-to-earth message.
Death Note and Death Note II
When he discovers a mystical notebook that grants him the power to kill anyone he wants by merely writing their name, a brilliant student named Light (Tatsuya Fujiwara) develops a god complex and attempts to create utopia. Now, it’s up to ingenious detective “L” (Ken’ichi Matsuyama) to stop the supernatural vigilante. Directed by Shusuke Kaneko, this eerie thriller also stars Asaka Seto, Erika Toda and Shigeki Hosokawa.
Like Kill Bill, this is a story split between two films. Even with it’s supernatural premise, this is a detective thriller at it’s core. The dynamic battle of wits between the genius detective and the genius vigilante is both fantastic and believable.
Linda Linda Linda
It’s three days before the big school talent show and Kyoto, Kei and Nozumi are in a fix when their lead singer quits over artistic differences. Their only candidate to fill the spot is a Korean foreign exchange student who can barely speak any Japanese. Time for some all-night rehearsals! Directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita and featuring a score by former Smashing Pumpkins member James Iha, this lighthearted comedy stars Du-na Bae and Yu Kashii.
This is one of my old standby favorites. A quirky slice-of-life comedy of the kind that always relaxes me and makes me smile.
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
When he’s not busy breaking the law or trying to get close to his secret crush, Penny (Felicia Day), supervillain wannabe Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris) boasts about his exploits via his Internet video blog and dreams of defeating his nemesis, Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion). Conceived during the 2008 Hollywood writers’ strike, Joss Whedon’s quirky musical comedy originally debuted as an online miniseries.
A hilarious musical send up of all the superhero/super-villain tropes. I still get songs from this stuck in my head on a regular basis.
The Taste of Tea
Director Katsuhito Ishii’s whimsical episodic tale chronicles a summer in the lives of the quirky Haruno clan, who passes the unhurried days trying to realize their ambitions. As Mom (Satomi Tezuka) attempts to revive her career, her hypnotherapist hubby (Tomokazu Miura) practices on the family. Meanwhile, their pubescent son (Takahiro Sato) feels the pangs of love, and their 6-year-old daughter (Maya Banno) grapples with a pesky dopplegänger.
Weird, quirky, and oddly relaxing. This is another slow-moving slice-of-life comedy that I leaves me with a relaxed smile on my face.
That’s enough for now. Let me know your own recommendations in the comments.
I have found myself throughly addicted to netflix these days. I love it. I have always loved movies but the old traditional brick and mortar rental stores never did a whole lot of good for me. Basically that is because I have developed very odd tastes. I like to discover new and unknown films, I have a great affection for foreign films, and I greatly enjoy a good indie flick. All things that used to be hard to find until netflix came along.
Another benefit of it has been it’s ability to easily experiment and try out movies and shows that I might have never tried before (especially thanks to the Internet streaming films). A good example is the Japanese film Samurai Fiction that I got in the mail not too long ago. It turned out to be a great ode to the old Samurai flicks of bygone decades (very funny as well).
Restless Ones 