La Tortue rouge

The movie is visually stunning and conceptually intriguing.

Animator Michael Dudok de Wit has had the improbable chance to make his feature-length debut in partnership with studio Ghibli, and with full artistic autonomy. The result is one hour and a half of purely visual narrative. A bold choice but with no doubt one that works out beautifully. The result is simple, fresh and beautiful, and definitely worthy of the Studio Ghibli stamp.

However, leaving the theater, I had the peculiar impression of having watched the world's longest short. It's an observation that's neither positive nor negative, at least I've been unable to define whether this is an accomplishment or a weakness. That is to say : the film might come off as a bit light, but at the same time, its single-topic approach is elegant and truly enjoyable to watch, and beautifully poetic in its way of finding big stories in the simplest of things.

Anyway, a debut that makes us very curious where Mchaël Dudok de Wit will take us in his future work.

A man is stranded on a tiny ocean island. All that happens from then on is beautifully drawn and animated, but is quite metaphorical. It's all about the cycle of life, so try to read more into events than just what's on the surface. Hah, the surface, get it? Well, you will when you see the film.

There is absolutely no dialogue, just this simple story that somehow makes you feel stuff. The movements of the characters and animals are so fun and natural (maybe except a bat that was flying like a bird for some reason), the visuals are beautiful, it's a relaxing show.

It might put you off with the pacing, perhaps. I found myself looking at how much was remaining from the film several times, but most of the time I was entertained. I liked it.

"The Red Turtle" is an animated film that left my entire family feeling quietly devastated without even being able to put our fingers on why.

With no dialogue, it traces the trajectory life takes for most people: starting out alone, finding someone to partner with, raising children, watching those children leave, and then saying goodbye yourself to the world. The film explores how things that can at first seem like barriers to happiness and contentment can eventually lead us to the things about life that we cherish most. It's not a film full of big, obvious emotions, but instead works a quiet and subtle spell. My eight year old was extremely attuned to the melancholy sadness of the film and spent a couple of minutes in tears afterwards. It gave us a good opportunity to talk about why the movie made him sad and to make him feel OK about having honest reactions to what are essentially the ups and downs of life.

Nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2016 Academy Awards.

Grade: A

Plunder what you will, it's well worth the effort and a very rewarding one at that. Your interpretations will vary depending on your own experiences but you will recognise many elements, mostly metaphorical in their nature, that you can reflect upon and align with your own sands of time. Enchantingly ascribed to the medium of film, it also teaches us that simplicity and less complex presentations can often remove distortions that more technical offerings inadvertently introduce. We are still only Hunter Gatherers at the end of the day, and at the start of all those subsequent days that follow.

Had heard nothing but good things about 'The Red Turtle', including that it was nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar (up against very stiff competition with the likes of 'Zootropolis', 'Kubo' and 'Moana'). Also am an animation fan and saw that it had a Studio Ghibli co-credit, so high expectations were raised even higher.

Finally seeing 'The Red Turtle', there is not much else to add to what has already been said. While it is an unconventional film and will perplex some, 'The Red Turtle' is a beautiful film, in visuals, storytelling and emotions. It perhaps runs for a little too long in length, particularly when the story structure is somewhat more suited to a short film. Otherwise, 'The Red Turtle' is deserving of its praise and its Best Animated Feature Oscar nomination was a worthy one even when up against such stiff competition where all the nominees were very good to outstanding in their own way.

'The Red Turtle' is very beautifully animated. It's simple rather than elaborate or flashy, but this simplicity is done very elegantly and still boasts some exquisitely imaginative moments. The backgrounds are meticulous in detail and the colours are ethereal and bold. All the characters are drawn with taste too. The music score not only adds a lot to the storytelling and emotions, it even gives them a greater impact. There is a haunting atmosphere, whimsical energy and understated lushness to the music here, and the clever sound effects work well too.

A wordless, dialogue-free film (apart from the odd sound effect) 'The Red Turtle' may be, but that's not a strike against it. There are many instances of things resonating volumes without the use of words, this is true of 'The Red Turtle' with its wide and varying range of emotions conveyed poignantly and with a sense of wonder. No matter how slight the story structure, the atmosphere is so rich and the visuals such a feast for the eyes that to me the film never became dull. Loved the timeless fable/folk tale feel to the story as well.

From personal opinion, 'The Red Turtle' was one of the most emotional films of 2016, making me resonate with the profound subject matter and care for the charming characters. There is a little nail-biting drama, some fairly symbolic romance and the cycle of life story is profoundly engaging. The ending is very affecting, though will (and has done) perplex some, and the characters charm.

Overall, a thing of beauty. 9/10 Bethany Cox