At one thirty this afternoon, I set off walking to the city centre. It is about two miles from our house. I opted to walk purely for the exercise. Along Psalter Lane, down Cemetery Road then under the inner circular road.
My destination was The Showroom Cinema. The film I had in mind was "Flow" as recommended by John Gray over at "Going Gently". "Flow" won the Best Animated Film Feature award at this year's Oscars, becoming the very first Latvian film to win any kind of oscar.
There are no human voices in "Flow". No words. But we do hear the wordless voices of the nameless central characters - a cat, a lemur, a secretarybird, a Labrador dog and a capybara.
They find themselves together in an old boat, sailing over a flood which keeps rising - inundating most everything. There is incidental music which enhances the action and is never obtrusive. Later, the flood subsides and they are back on terra firma.
There is joy in "Flow" as well as terror. It was meticulously crafted. At times, the visuals are breathtaking but I noticed that the animals never seemed to get wet even when they had been swimming in the flood. Was that a purposeful choice or a technical challenge too far for the animators?
"Flow" has a magical, very beautiful quality about it and it is easy to get lost in the artifice. Is it about anything? Does it have a purpose? Why was it made? I am not sure that I could answer any of these questions but what I can say is that it provides a unique cinematic experience. I guess that you just have to go with the flow of "Flow".
I'm hoping to watch this movie this weekend. The animation is certainly gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteIt is certainly a "different" kind of film Debra.
DeleteI don't think all movies need to be about something; sometimes entertainment is all you need.
ReplyDeleteIt is soothing in that regard. You just let it "flow" over you.
DeleteI'm probably not going to watch this with Jack, but I'm glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to see how 4 year old Phoebe reacted to it.
DeleteMy boyfriend and I enjoyed it very much, me more than him. I also have a black cat so I bonded with the main character. The end scene (which I don't want to spoil for other) was significant. What is good for one species is not for another.
ReplyDeleteSo many moods and hints. We can make of it what we will.
DeleteIt certainy looks and sounds totally unlike the Disney-ish animated films (which doesn't necessarily mean that I don't like some of those).
ReplyDeleteWell done, Latvian film makers.
I suspect that you would enjoy it. Maybe your mum and sister would too.
DeleteI'll keep an eye out for it here, though it may take a while.
ReplyDeleteI guess it will reach Adelaide in about 2028.
DeleteYour dissection of the film is interesting, and I read into what you wrote, that you liked it, but you didn't actually say that. I mentioned the film to my tenants and they were ho hum, until I mentioned the magic word, capybara.
ReplyDeleteDid I need to say, "I liked it"?
DeleteSounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteGo on! Be brave and watch a daytime screening. At a cinema near you.
DeleteYour post about this film interested me so I looked for a trailer to watch. Wow. The animation is amazing, and there is no dialogue whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteThe animation was a little different from anything I had seen before.
DeleteStorytelling comes in various forms but it must be soothing to the soul all that water.
ReplyDeleteThe water was so realistic and often filled with fishes.
DeleteWell, that's too positive reviews from Blogworld.
ReplyDeleteIt was rather special in the ocean of films.
DeleteDid it mean anything to you?
ReplyDeleteIt meant purity, simplicity, love of life but part of the beauty of it was that it was not making any kind of proposition or argument.
DeleteOK, interesting. I might watch it when it comes out on streaming.
ReplyDeleteThank you, that's a really good tip. I often miss good movies in the theater because I don't pay enough attention... and then I watch them on Prime, but I'm often annoyed that I didn't see them in the theater... the big screen is simply wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI'll watch the film and let myself go.
Best, Viola
Thank you.
i'll probably give it a go at some point - thanks for the heads up
ReplyDeleteSounds great! I'll watch for it!
ReplyDeleteI’m glad you saw the beauty in it xx
ReplyDelete