Ryan

"Ryan" is an animated short story movie which shows us Chris Landreth who introduces himself to us and then he makes something like an intervention to Ryan Larkin. Ryan Larkin was a very popular animator in the 1960s and early 1970s who unfortunately became an alcoholic and he lost his mind because of some things that happened in his life.

We also see Felicity Fanjoy his big love in the best periods of his life and Derek Lamb who was his producer. The movie takes place in a restroom or something like a restaurant and we can observer that in there all the people who are there are homeless and had some issues.

Finally we follow Ryan Larkin to the streets where he is begging for some money, and I think that was the most sadly moment of this movie.

I had seen Chris Landreth's Bingo when I worked at Alias, and I was very impressed by the evident creativity that involved in Landreth's work. . His work is very unique and no cliché, and most importantly, visually very interesting. I have yet to see anyone to produce a 3d short that's as advanced in terms of the creative use of the 3d tool. . My personal belief is, the Ryan is much more than just a 3d documentary(also a very new genre in 3d animation I believe), it is a piece of art, and the medium is computer animation.

This piece of work is truly the most astonishing animation I have ever seen. Its visual attributes are so rich that the eye fails to follow them on the screen. My experience was indeed enhanced since I watched it on the NFB's big screen in downtown Toronto. Ryan's creators have doubtlessly pushed the envelope in exploiting artistic techniques. Its intelligent plot is also very admirable. Based on the life of a real character, Ryan criticizes the extreme financial difficulties of many unknown artists who struggle with their lives to produce art. All been said, this is one of those cases where any literal description of the work is still far away from the actual visual experience. So Go Figure!

Don't follow the genre at all so I have no idea how unique the effects are. Just happened to catch it on the CBC indie show Zed and was reminded about it when I heard it got an Oscar nomination. And I must say, this is a rare instance where you see a new technology being applied in a way that actually enhances every aspect of what happens to be a deep and touching story. As opposed to today's big budget CGI which provides little more than a cheap thrill. I can imagine if I were in Ryan's shoes in his regrettable state, I would feel exactly like the stripped down fragments of skin, bone, tendons and random Rube Goldberg parts he's depicted as. A must see film, and not only because of the gorgeous animation. 10/10

"Ryan" deserves ever accolade it has received and more. It illuminates. It shines a light on a piece of animation history while putting it into the greater context of one animator's creative journey. It is that rare example of a true animated documentary, using the form to better tell the story, enhancing it. Utilizing the fanciful to better tell the truth.

It has recently become available on DVD for five dollars at www.Filmporium.com. I highly recommend adding this academy-award winner to your library. This is one film that not holds up to, but rewards repeated viewing. The DVD also contains Bill Plympton's "Eat" and the circle-of-life short "Flux" by Chris Hinton.