HankCoT

From the start we get where Anora is at : normalized into the seedy ways perpetuated by her ''glider in dark corners'' environment. The daily grind shown to be skillfully done, with a focus on the humorous particularities of the trade helping the story along. It's a well paced narrative build-up, which gets a hard dose of adrenaline when she meets a young nepo-party-crazed-russian who brings her into his glamorous life. The days quickly become jumbled together, with nothing but sex and drugs to fuel them, all contained in lavish rooms... Until, three men knock at the door to take away everything, slowly deflating the intoxicating bubble. A new build up starts, as our dancer desperately clings onto what is actively running aways from her : the humour as poignant as ever but now accompanied with an uncompromising baggage of emotional turmoil. It's a great time the whole way through, filled with wacky yet believable characters and chaotic situations, immensely entertaining and surprisingly full of heart.

Just the idea alone of creating a trippy animated show around a podcast that seriously discusses death, as well as multiple aspects connecting the topic (such as loss, faith, understanding, acceptance) is fascinating. And the series actually works, not only with its narrative constructed around real recorded conversations, but for elaborating on the giant themes expressed, all packaged in an emotionally charged cartoon that had me bawling by the end.

I'm sad the show was canceled, but at the same time it's kind of crazy that this was able to be made in any capacity. And It's not as if Pendleton Ward has stopped working. Just last year (2023) he gave us a great Fionna and Cake series, which is connected to Adventure Time show, and it's great! So if you are still craving some odd and fantastical adventures after watching Midnight Gospel do not despair, just jump into Ward's other projects.

This is just airtight, I love the multiscreen effect, all variating close-ups of Fiona chanting passionately, separating the layered lyrics into distinct sections, in extension accentuating the feeling expressed. The camera is right next to her, watching her genuine smile as she sings, rocking back and forth, sometimes in and out of the screen, making these simple little movements seem big and dynamic. A warm spotlight surrounds her, either in black-and-white or in colour, distinguishing nicely the panels who shift between the two styles, guiding our attention as the song progresses. It's a fantastic display of new-found love, in perfect synergy with audio and video.

This is probably my favourite PTA music clip, with 'Across the Universe' in second place, also by Fiona Apple. That being said, I recommend every fan of his to watch all his musical projects, as this particular rabbit hole is filled with great grooves, all immaculately presented.