by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
I’ve always had a soft spot for animation. More years than not, at least a couple of animated features find their way onto my top 10 list. So I’m setting out to shine a light on some films that may have passed you by. The idea here is to take a look at some underseen gems, so no Toy Story or Frozen here.
Let’s get started.
With the Academy Awards this weekend, the gorgeous Wolfwalkers by Cartoon Saloon is one of the more independent picks in this year’s field for Best Animated Feature. The story of Wolfwalkers is in line with some of the studio’s Irish-inspired flicks — having also produced Song of the Sea and The Secret of Kells, known as the “Irish Folklore Trilogy.” However, my personal favorite takes us not to Ireland, but the Middle East — 2017’s The Breadwinner. It’s helmed by Nora Twomey, who co-directed The Secret of Kells and has another release slated for 2022. The story follows a young girl named Parvana living in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in 2001. When her father is arrested, she disguises herself as a boy in order to provide for her family. The film is based on a book of the same name by Deborah Ellis. While I haven’t read the book, its screen adaptation comes off very well.
From the moment the film starts, it’s clear how important storytelling is to the story the film is telling. For both Parvana and her father, the power of stories — and their love of storytelling — are integral parts of their characters. A component of Cartoon Saloon’s other films is a mystical aspect to the storyline. Here, these stories are the way of still including some of that through the myths and the stories narrated to us.
The way the film is animated strengthens the motif of storytelling even further. The way the film is drawn makes it feel like a storybook come to life. That really comes through when either Parvana or her father are telling a story as the animation gives us beautiful and colorful visuals to accompany the words. The colors really pop when we’re being told a story, but even when we’re in the modern day, the color is always popping off the screen.
Like the rest of Cartoon Saloon’s catalogue, the animation style is two-dimensional. I’m not an animation purist who longs for a return to the days when 2D animation was the way everything was done and it’s always better. You need to only look at what’s been done in the Toy Story and How to Train Your Dragon films to know that breathtaking work can be done in 3D, too. Having said that, I don’t think either style needs to monopolize the field. This film is proof that if you have a quality team of animators and a studio willing to let them do good work, the dimension of the animation has no bearing on the quality. The way Cartoon Saloon animates their films is always another way to strengthen the story they’re telling, and this is no exception.
The story here is a powerful one. Though the studio’s roots are in Irish culture, a new setting and new myths are dealt with the same amount of care. Having our main character be a young Afghan girl at a pivotal time in history is a unique perspective, and one we don’t often see — particularly in an animated feature.
The subject matter is darker than the other Cartoon Saloon offerings, as evidenced by the film’s PG-13 rating — the highest rating for one of their films. There’s a weight to this movie and an undercurrent of darkness that runs throughout, more subtle at some times than others. You immediately connect to Parvana’s family and feel their sorrow, both past and present. The chemistry and back and forth between family members are instantly relatable. The quick buy-in is necessary, as things escalate pretty rapidly. By giving us an immediate connection with the characters, we feel the tension as the family tries to navigate their precarious predicament, including a tense finale.
Each of the studio’s four features have earned an Oscar nomination, and there’s a good reason why. While the big studios are the ones that generally go home with the hardware at the end of the night, the work put in by this studio deserves to have its fair share of eyes. While it was streaming on Netflix until recently, I couldn’t find it streaming anywhere at the moment. Keep an eye out for this one on your various streaming services, or throw it a few bucks if you can. You won’t be disappointed.
I’m excited to be able to geek out on some great animated work you may not have had a chance to catch and hope to give you a few new things to add to your watchlist! Thanks for reading and I’ll see you at next month’s celebration.