Abre tus alas

Just one word: wow....

See this one, you will not regret it. Anything I can tell besides this could be a spoiler, and you do not want to enjoy a second less!

"Donne-moi des ailes" is a true tale of innocent courage. A child risks it all to save his family of geese, by taking them across hundreds of miles. It kept me engaged throughout, and awoke in me a sense of wonder. It is heroic in a way that children of this time ought to know. Without being preachy it encourages us to act on our beliefs, and to give our children a world to inherit.

The world we live in is not inherited from our ancestors, but borrowed from our children and grandchildren.

There are a few weak spots in this movie - very few - that get soft and sentimental to excess. The family problems - a 14 year old boy largely estranged from his father - is banal and has been told many times. But once we get into the real meat of this movie, the transformation of a spoiled kid into a young man through acts of real devotion and courage, this film becomes not just very good but extraordinary. The young boy, who is not cute or in any way cinematographic but just, in appearance, a normal kid, is also a first-rate actor.

The crossing of the North Sea - I won't explain that here, because I don't want to spoil anything - had me riveted to the screen, but so much of the return trip is just astounding.

The aerial photography is also worth far more than the price of admission.

Go see this movie. If you know a 14 year old kid, be sure to take him with you. If you were ever a 14 year old kid, be sure to let him out so he can experience this movie as well. Take a few handkerchieves as well. Even if you're a manly man, the 14 year old kid inside you may get the better of you - and make you better in the process.

This movie is a remake of Volando a casa (1996). The 1996 version, set in North America, has nicer pictures of the gooses, but is a bit slower. This 2019 version, set in Europe, dispite lacking a bit on the animal photography, has a better overall script, less emphasis on the family and character difficulties of the main hero. Both movies target a similar audience of pre-teens and young teens. It is a close score with a slight edge for the 2019 version.