It's Such a Beautiful Day

When I sat down to watch this, I had never heard of Don Hertzfeldt, the genius behind "It's Such a Beautiful Day." Since then, I've watched every single film he has made at least three times. This film changed the way I look at art; film, music and literal art, in the form of paintings. It is truly incredible. Hertzfeldt's animation style in one of the best in the industry, and has now become my favourite.

The story that is told in the series of shorts will make you laugh, cry and consider why you are even living. The way that the simple animation style is composited on screen is unique, and also works seeing as it is told from Bill's perspective. The main character, Bill, is a lonely, confused stickman, who suffers from depression and a mental disorder. The things he dreams up or the hallucinations he sees show Hertzfeldt's absurd humour, which will confuse you and also make you laugh. The questions that he asks will stay in your head for a very long time.

The fact that this masterpiece was produced entirely one person with no help from computers makes the film stand out even more.

I don't know whether I'll ever watch a film the same again.

Never has a movie had a greater impact on me than this one. In fact, I created my IMDb profile solely to rate this movie 10/10, because it is just that good.

At the surface it's a somewhat comically told story of a stickman, Bill, and his struggles in life. Don Hertzfeldt (the animator) narrates Bill's life through what seems like a series tiny excerpts plucked out from a bigger picture. It mirrors the animation style, which at times also seems to consist of excerpts; tiny portions roughly cut out from bigger scenes. All this is accompanied by classical music.

At the core of this simple exterior though, is an emotional roller-coaster that will make you think about the big questions. It will make you laugh at dark jokes amidst a sea of tears. It will reduce any hard man into a soft mushy pulp. And in the end, Bill the stickman will have a real impact on your life.

I don't think I can accurately describe how very very much I loved this movie. I've seen it 4 times now and each time I still feel my soul ache for Bill. I fell in love with Bill and... just felt for him. In real life, I felt for an animated character. It's that good.

The way the scenes are laid out really dig deep into the psyche and even if the scenes are too deep for you, you can still appreciate being pulled into someone's mind and experiences in such a way that later you won't be able to help but to reflect on, and often.

I especially loved how the writer depicted the psychotic breaks. Genius. What is it like to have experienced true emotional pain? What's the damage left? What about genetics? There's no doubt that environment plays a large role in emotional development but so does being genetically predisposed to an illness or 'malfunction' that basically hinders brain function so that the brain is no longer efficient. Most of us can only imagine experiencing the brain being truly confused or inept.

Yet, Bill pushes on as the sweetest, kindest soul who just lives his simple, rote routines and just keeps living...and living....and living.

This movie is amazing and you get to experience Bill's PERCEPTIONS of his reality and life in a stark and matter-of-fact way that gets to you. LOVE this LOVE LOVE LOVE this! ...and I LOVE whomever made this movie. You are simply incredible, sir.

This film has all three episodes put together into one continuous story. It shows the story of Bill, who is deteriorating from a brain disease. It sounds depressing and haunting, and it is. However, it is many other things as well - impressive, heartwarming, insightful, funny, clever, tragic, and more. This film is a rare gem. A must-watch.

This film is amazing. It's a beautiful, philosophical film that leaves you feeling paralyzed after viewing. Every time I watch it, I notice more and more of the great things about this film. The superb effects are even more amazing when you think about how there were no computers used in its filming. This movie feels like the longest hour of your life, but you wish the hour never ends. It is about a man named Bill. It starts of following Bill around with narration by Don Hertzfeldt. Hertzfeldt's narration sounds unconventional and unprofessional, but it adds to the effect of the film. You soon learn that BIll is struggling with some sort of disease never mentioned in the film that affects his mind. Most of the film is split into little windows across the screen, something weird, but original and interesting. All this, plus some darkly funny humor, makes this film not only a great one, but an artistic achievement that will make you do some major thinking about life. This film is perfect.