Psiconautas

I recently was lucky to grab a seat in it's limited English release in NYC and I'm very glad I went out of my way to watch it. NYC theaters are loud and responsive, it spoke well of this film that the audience grew quiet and attentive 20 minutes in. While the film has it's comedy and of course features solely animated animals, it reaches amazing depths and tells a fully entertaining and visually captivating story. There is nothing immature or young about this film. The animation is wonderful and feels wholly original without shoving style into your face. The writing is superb and crisp, never feeling heavy handed nor childish. Each character has its own story, even if you don't get to see it, you feel their story through their design and dialogue. I was amazed to learn this was the two directors first feature length film, and while it is based on Vasquez's own comic (which explains their talent in story telling and character development) the ability to translate the story to a fully engaging film. I'm very excited to see what comes out of this team in the future.

This movie blew me away. Very dark, creative, and shocking. I've seen this one twice, and would gladly watch it again. Check it out.

Life is bleak on the island after an "industrial accident" destroyed most life and left its remaining peoples to scramble amongst piles of rust and garbage to survive. Teenager Dinky wants only to run away, leave the island and find a better life, but she also wants to persuade Birdboy, a solitary youth who is shunned by most, takes drugs all the time (to subdue the demon living inside him) and rarely talks, to come away with her, for Dinky loves Birdboy. But Birdboy has his own joys and sorrows, the former being flying and his ability to seed the scorched earth with new life via glowing acorns and the latter being the murder of his father by police who misunderstood his purpose. He is not too sure how long he can continue in his life, and in the meantime Dinky and her friends plan their escape, while trying to avoid the clutches of the trash- dwelling rodents who call themselves "the forgotten children".... This is an animated film that began life in 2012 as a short and was subsequently expanded to full length by the two directors, Alberto Vasquez and Pedro Rivero. It is beautifully wrought, a piece of gorgeous (if often bleak) drawing, and the characters really get under your skin. But oh, it's so tragic for everyone involved; although the final images show a kind of beautiful transcendence, by then this viewer's heart was already completely broken by the pathos of it all. If you don't mind having your heart broken by film (as I don't), then give yourself the haunting pleasure of seeing this film!

In popular media, sometimes the most obscure can pick up one's interest. That came when I randomly encountered the Blu-ray of a 2015 Spanish film called "Birdboy: The Forgotten Children (Psiconautas, los niños olvidados)". It is based on a comic by Alberto Vázquez and serves as sort of a sequel to a short film made by him and Pedro Rivero simply titled "Birdboy" (can be found on youtube), which I recommend seeing if you want some extra context (though the film itself works without it).

Plot: An industrial accident turns a once peaceful island of anthropomorphic animals into a harsh, near-lifeless dystopia. The orphaned outcast Birdboy tries to get by in life and keep the demon inside him locked away. Meanwhile, his loving friend, a mouse named Dinky, plans to leave the island with her friends to start fresh in the outside world. Little do both know that their destinies are intertwined in ways they cannot imagine.

Full warning: This is NOT a kids movie. It's a world that embraces the dark and macabre with elements of drugs, blood+violence, language, and minor sexual elements. The society is one of denial, desperation, corruption, and waste, rotting inside and out. But, the film's tagline "There is light and beauty, even in the darkest of worlds" is present in different ways such as Birdboy's beautiful grotto, Little Fox, and small humorous touches, fragments of hope for the forsaken island that may or may not come to pass. The art style would make Tim Burton proud, decay and dark shadows at nearly every corner with simplistic character designs that often fit their thematic relevance and lifestyles. Abundant themes are woven into both the world and narrative such as addiction, adolescence, environmentalism, conformity, freedom, prejudice, family troubles, and the darkness within us, all seen from the perspectives of the two protagonists. I also gotta give props to the music, the emotional tone of which is a mix of eerie and soothing.

Birdboy is one of the most unique and intriguing fictional characters I've seen, silent and reclusive yet so full of nuance and pathos. He's flawed but he persists in bettering things even when the world and his frightening demon are against him. Dinky complements him with her desire for a new life, seeing nothing of value beyond those closest to her and doing what she can to achieve her goal. While not seen together that much, their relationship drew me in. The side characters are also interesting with their own problems, though I felt that a couple of them could've used more development such as Dinky's friend Sandra who suffers from schizophrenia.

"Birdboy: The Forgotten Children" is a creature unlike any other, both strange and inviting. It managed to win Best Animated Feature among other awards and, for me, it's easy to see why. I was regaled and intellectually challenged by this one. If you want to try a new visual experience, then give this and the prequel short film a watch. Just keep it away from children.

A strange and weird cartoon movie dealing with three chilldren : Dinki , Sara and Zorrito leave their home to embark on a better life throughout a bizarre World at an isolated island after a nuclear apocalypse that caused a serious damage environmental. Along the way , another boy , Birdboy who never talks , is being pursued by two guard men wielding rifles . No everything with a body is alive.

This is a very rare and offbeat movie with a traditional as well as naif animation. It is a sui-generis film with plenty of fantasy , adventure , ecological message and disturbing , at times . The film is really influenced by the Japanese Anime and especially by the fantastic atmosphere created by Hayao Miyazaki in Mononoke Princess and others as Chihiro or My neighbour Tororo . The movie is developed with high sensibility and sense of wonder , though isn't apt for little boys . It is more adequate a rating PG : Parents Guide than a children film , due to contain graphic violence , horror moments , bloody attacks , strong fights , and some creepy animals . A decent film based on the comic books by Alberto Vazquez who was director assistant as well . Adding an enjoyable musical score and colorful cinematography accompanying appropiately the story's development .

The picture produced by prestigious actor Luis Tosar , among others , being original and competently written/directed by Pedro Rivero and Alberto Vazquez . It won several Nominations and Awards, such as : Cinamia 2016 winner Festival Feature Film to Pedro Rivera , Alberto Vazquez . Fantasia Film Festival 2016 winner Best Animated Feature . Faro Island Film Festival 2015 winner Grand Jury Prize . Goya Awards 2017 Best Animation Film : ZircoZine , Basque Films , Abrakan Estudio, Competencia Productiones . Monterrey International Film Festival winner Graveyard Shift Competition . The Platino Awards for Iberoamerican Cinema 2017 winner best film. ToHorror Film Festival Italy 2016 Best Film, among others .