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 with Animation Celebration is to take a look at some underseen gems — so no Toy Story or Frozen here.
Let’s get started.
Last month, I promised that we take a look at the most underseen of all the underseen Best Animated Feature nominees at the Academy Awards. Frankly, (at least according to Letterboxd) it’s not even really that close.
Chico & Rita was nominated in 2011 as the category was permanently expanded to five nominees, alongside winner Rango, Puss in Boots, Kung Fu Panda 2, and a previous entry in this series, A Cat in Paris. Though the latter nominee also had a distinctive artistic style, Chico & Rita stands out in my mind as the first time I clocked the Academy’s penchant for throwing the odd arthouse flick in among their animated nominees.
The plot follows the musical and romantic partnership of piano player Chico and singer Rita sparked in Havana, Cuba. The central relationship starts off very cold and clichéd — guy attracted to hot singer. There’s a twist on it shortly after, though, and it builds the relationship through music to start that gets things going. The relationship is at its best when there’s a musical component to it, and the music is the really star of the show. The jazz is great and the music really sings — especially when we’re engrossed in the Havana scene with its Latin influences. That’s a big part of why that’s my favorite setting, too. I enjoyed the movie best when Havana was the focus. Things get a little more expansive as the story goes along and leaves Havana behind, but I was never as invested with either that setting or part of the story — but, I’ve gotten distracted. Back to the relationship. When it’s purely romantic, I got the attraction, but I was never really fully invested. It needs the musical assistance.
It’s an odd entry as an animated project. Aside from the fact that it got distributed under the umbrella of the GKIDS, the production companies involved aren’t strictly animation houses. Sure, it’s got the collaborative DNA of a lot of the European arthouse pictures I’ve covered before, but without the animation pedigree. The same goes for the directors — and even more odd, perhaps, it’s a trio (though two of them are brothers). This is the last directorial effort of Tono Errando, who only ever worked in one project on the art department. The other co-directors, Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba, likewise do more work in live action than animation — though these two did re-pair for another musically themed animated feature last year with They Shot the Piano Player. Trueba’s claim to fame isn’t even in the field of animation, it’s his Oscar-winning work on Belle Epoque in 1993. I don’t say that disparagingly; Guillermo del Toro’s recent win in this category is great and I love that it gets people to just think of animation as another way to make film. It just makes the film notable in that regard.
Does that live action influence come through in the movie? Perhaps. There’s an interesting perspective shift early in the movie during a landscape shot out of a window. There are also a few moments where they use some fun zoom techniques. That’s when the directing’s at its best — when incorporating camera movements into its visual style. There are some rough moments of animation, but I did like the style overall, particularly in establishing shots. In addition to when it’s giving us a sense of place, there’s a dream sequence that really pops.
As a project, it’s also a different type of nominee in terms of content. Sex scenes and nudity aren’t something you get very often in the category — especially, again, as something put out under the GKIDS banner — but this is a more adult entry for the nominees that we don’t get very often. That alone almost makes it a nominee worth exploring.
Overall, the La La Land comparisons are easy — and are all over the Letterboxd comments. While the relationship here doesn’t work as well as that example, if you enjoyed the jazz-soaked stories that are La La Land, Whiplash, or Soul, this hidden gem might just be your tempo.
I’m excited to continue to geek out on some great animated work you may not have had a chance to catch. For next month, we’re back in a post-Academy Awards world and I’ll be back scavenging the wider world of underseen animation.
You can read more from Jake Bourgeois, and follow him on Twitter and Letterboxd