The Boy and The Heron: A Sumptuous Journey Through the Mind of an Animation Master

The Boy and The Heron, written and directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, is a fantastical tale of a boy grieving the loss of his mother, who is lead into a journey about the pain of life and figuring out who he is after it.

With similarities to some of Miyazaki’s other films, this one dives into a literal realm of existentialism where the boy must choose to leave behind his broken past, push through his pain, and grow into who he is becoming.

Heed the call

The film starts in WWII Japan, where a young Mahito (Luca Padovan) is terrorized by the bombing of his village.

While being pulled to safety by his father Shoichi (Christian Bale), Mahito breaks free to run and get his mother, who is away in another part of the village. When he gets there, the building where she was, is set ablaze and Mahito can’t save her.

Fast forward a couple years later, and Shoichi has remarried his deceased wife’s younger sister, Natsuko (Gemma Chan), who is now pregnant with Mahito’s new sibling. Having moved to his family’s estate in the country, Mahito must adjust to a new town and school.

The children at school are less than welcoming, and Mahito finds himself the target of bullying. He ends up taking a rock and hitting himself in the head in order not to go back to school. As he explores the new grounds, he comes across a big, ugly heron (Robert Pattinson) that leads him to a mysterious tower.

GKIDS

He asks his caretakers, a gaggle of comical “grannies”, Aiko (Barbara Goodson), Izumi (Denise Pickering), Eriko (Melora Harte), Utako (Barbara Rosenblat), Oyuki (Nika Futterman) and Kazuko (Debi Derryberry), about the tower.

They all discourage him to go and tell him to leave the place alone, as his Granduncle (Mark Hamill), also disappeared there long ago.

But the Heron persists in getting Mahito’s attention, at one point telling him to come “save her”, in reference to his mother. When his stepmother disappears, Mahito takes it upon himself to rescue her so that he doesn’t lose another mother again.

the other side

The Heron leads him into the tower that is full of magic and mystery. They are sent into a world “beneath” their own, where everything looks like Earth, but is always a bit unsettlingly off. A sailor called Kiriko (Florence Pugh) leads him to a massive structure that is another world within this world.

There he is taken further into the search for his stepmother, in an ethereal realm with all kinds of strange creatures, those who would be helpful and some that are not. He begins to explore more of his family’s past there, where he also figures out what happened to his Granduncle.

GKIDS

Within that, Mahito is forced to make an important choice that will decide not only his fate, but the fate of his lineage and the world “beneath”.

In all honesty…

The Boy And the Heron is a spectacular vision of creativity, humanity and the unsettling duality of pain and grief.

Apparently semi-autobiographical, Miyazaki, in his final film, pays homage to his experiences as a young boy growing up in a time of war, and the heart-wrenching end of childhood innocence after the loss of his mother.

His mother and the war have been depicted in many of his past films, showing up in a lot of the lead females he has written. He remembers her so fondly and she is said to be one of his greatest influences in his creative work and life.

This film delves into the “whys” that I think a lot of humans think about when bad things happen and when we wish life could be easier. The duality within us is something that we all share while on our Earthly journeys, some of us choosing to live within the light, and others of us who choose to live within the dark.

It is a deep question that has haunted humanity since the beginning of our time here, and will continue to follow us in the never ending circle called life on Earth.

GKIDS

Miyazaki uses beautiful and strange imagery to create a moving, vivid metaphor for life, and demonstrates the necessity for pain and loss. We find that only through pain can we grow and change, which couldn’t happen if life was always easy.

The filmmakers do an excellent job of creating a world that is palpably beautiful and peaceful, with an unsettling feeling that things are not quite right.

Though one could argue that this particular film may not be his best, it is nonetheless still destined to be a classic and an elegant closure to the legacy that this master of animation leaves with us.

Studio Ghibli has a look and a feeling that is truly one of a kind, no matter who may try to recreate it. Whatever the situation its protagonists find themselves in, there is always a feeling of hope, grandiosity, and a side of the startlingly bizarre, created with so much heart, love and extraordinary artistry.

I always enjoy his tiny side creatures the most. From the soot sprites of Spirited Away to the Wata Wata’s in this film, it always adds a dimension of the adorable and brings to life minor things most of us would never even think of.

What a ride Miyazaki has brought to the lives of so many people and what an incredible life he has led. He is a true master of animation and storytelling, and so blessed to have been one of the privileged few who have been able to share his work on such a grand scale with the rest of the world.

His legacy will persist and live to inspire for countless years to come. Bravo sir!

Little Nicholas: A Delightful Rendering of a Beloved Character

Happy 2023!

Little Nicholas (Le Petit Nicolas), directed by Amandine Fredon and Benjamin Mossubre, is an absolutely stunning and charming animated documentary about a renowned comic and children’s book hero brought vividly alive in France.

The Creators

On a lovely day in mid 1950’s Paris, illustrator Jean-Jacque Sempe wanted to create a new idea. He asked for a meeting with long time friend, writer/illustrator Rene Goscinny. The two tossed around ideas over red wine in a picturesque café and there was created the unforgettable rascal called Little Nicholas.

Sempe and Goscinny, both who experienced less than ideal childhoods, created Nicholas as the exemplary family they never had. A loving mom; a hard working father and a grandmother who dotes on and unabashedly spoils Nicholas. He lives a simple yet full existence for a child, abounding with imagination, school, friendship and mischief.

Source: Buffalo 8 Productions

The creators first published Nicholas in an obscure Belgian magazine. as a comic. It’s popularity soared, much to the creators surprise, and Little Nicholas flourished into a thriving book series. The film tells each of the creators stories broken up into picturesque segments, while sharing several lively episodes of Nicholas’s adventures between.

The film is an homage to Sempe and Goscinny and the wonder they created for the world.

In all Honesty…

Little Nicholas is absolute magic!

Nearly a decade in the making, filmmakers Fredon and Mossubre partnered with Goscinny’s daughter Anne, who wrote the film with Mossubre and Michel Fessler, honoring the work of two tremendous artists. Not only does it convey a great love for the creators, but also the creators love for the character and each other.

This is a story about friendship, chasing your dreams and keeping hope alive in dark times. Little Nicholas itself is a legacy of its passionate creators and this film brings to vivid life all of the beauty that these artists brought to the world.

Source: Buffalo 8 Productions

The animation is nothing short of spectacular. “Drawn” upon what looks like paper and colored with sumptuous watercolors that literally move and live on screen, the film evokes the comfort of children’s books of a passed on age. The colors are so muted and gentle it lulls the viewer into a sweet, warm embrace that flows exquisitely from scene to scene.

We fall in love with the joie de vie of Nicholas, taking in and relating to the childish nuances that many of us have in common in Western culture. We dance, play, learn and journey with him, wishing that real life was as reassuring, fantastical and delightful as we imagined it to be when we were children. The zest for life that Nicholas has, beckons us also to a time when we thought of life from a fresh, unencumbered perspective.

Every choice for the film is perfection. There isn’t any scene that seems misplaced or that feels unnecessary. From the meticulous drawing and coloring to the voices that bring each character to life, no detail is gratuitous or unenthusiastic. The animation and art departments should be lauded world wide for their extraordinary accomplishments.

Source: Buffalo 8 Productions

Little Nicholas is a reminder to us of the great things we can accomplish by working together. In a time when the world is growing exceedingly divisive and gasping for progression, it is easy to forget what and who we really are. The love that these artists put into this piece seeps through every single frame with elegance and abundance.

Let us draw from the passion and yearning of artists like these and fill the real world with the same consideration, color and loving intention to make Nicholas’s reality our reality.

The Sea Beast: A Netflix Original That is Actually Original

“I don’t know how the war started. Maybe all that matters is how it ends.”

Wise words from young Maisie Brumble (Zaris-Angel Hator) in Netflix’s new animated, original epic The Sea Beast. Directed by Chris Williams with an original script by Williams and Nell Benjamin, The Sea Beast is a fun, refreshing addition to Netflix’s slate which, overall, may be most enjoyable on the big screen.

A Pirate’s (Hunter’s) Life For Me

Set in an alternate time and world where sea monsters truly do exist, The Sea Beast sets the stage for swashbuckling adventures, introducing us to the world through its written lore.

There are generations of sea faring “heroes” known as Hunters, who seek out and kill the giant sea beasts,who are purported to destroy seaside towns and terrify their residents.

Jacob Holland (Karl Urban), “son” of the well-known Captain Augustus Crow (Jared Harris) of the ship Inevitable, is one of these great hunters. Jacob and shipmates are hired by the King and Queen and on the search for the feared Red Bluster, an enormous creature not yet killed and believed to be the ultimate catch.

Source: Netflix

Maisie, who’s parents were Hunters, stows away on the Inevitable, hoping to live out her dream of continuing the family legacy as a great Hunter. Captain Crow takes a liking to her and allows her to stay on the ship, but is Maisie biting off more than she can chew, trusting in sensationalist fiction than experienced truth?

After their first life or death encounter with the Red Bluster, Jacob and Maisie find themselves on a survival quest that changes their lives forever.

“We Kill ‘Em, We doN’t study ‘em”

After being stranded on a deserted island together, Jacob and Maisie are forced to learn about the sea beasts in greater detail.

Through this expedition, Jacob and Maisie form a bond and begin to delve deeper, figuring out things about their society’s past that they were never meant to.

Source: Netflix

This leaves them open to great peril, not only from the Hunters, but all those who benefit and profit from the way things have always been. The film juxtaposes real political circumstance into the story, hoping to show us all a better way.

Will Jacob and Maisie be able to figure out a solution in time to save themselves AND convince others of the true circumstances surrounding the problems with the sea beasts at hand?

In all honesty…

The Sea Beast is a welcome change from all the films based upon books, comics or graphic novels. I felt a sense of comforting familiarity that I had as a person who grew up with a plethora of original screenplay films.

With astonishingly gorgeous animation, the film harkens back to the great adventures that used to be played back before remakes were king.

It may not be Pixar level in story, reminding me of stories already told in the vain of How to TrainYour Dragon, it definitely rivals big budget animated films in color, production design and stunning, lustrous graphics. It’s the kind of film Disney would’ve made today if they had stuck to the older business model of taking risks, removed from intellectual properties, in exchange for new ideas.

Though the story does struggle a bit connecting its characters at an emotional level and at times is sluggish, there is still enough here to fascinate animation fans young and old alike. They almost nailed the nostalgia but not quite. There was a lingering feeling throughout of something missing that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

Source: Netflix

Urban’s performance behind Jacob was a bit dull, though hearkened elements of Billy Butcher, his iconic character in Prime’s series The Boys. Though I know it’s not the same character, I think Jacob was owed a bit more of Billy’s charisma and confidence. Instead, it was played more subdued, which also made connection to this character more difficult.

I loved how the writers ended up using political issues that resonate today as blatant metaphor in the film. The ending shows up as inspiring, making you wish it was as easy to solve the human collective’s problems in real life as they did in this story.

I was happy to see more POC characters though it still felt too white overall and too many of the lead characters were still white. This is a fantasy world, so no matter where it takes place, writers/filmmakers should be careful to be more inclusive not only in the side characters but in representing lead characters. There was no palpable reason why Jacob’s character couldn’t have been another person of color.

As a showcase of artistic talent, a highly welcome original screenplay and a metaphor for positive change, this film stands tall in its own right. I am ROOTING for all studios to follow Netflix’s lead in taking a chance on original content as the art of screenwriting is vital to moviemaking.

After all there are plenty of flops in recent history created from books and other intellectual properties. There are never any guarantees. Allow screenwriters the chance to shine as brightly as all other artists in film as they once did and trust that artistry is so much more than a money machine.

Night Sky: A Slow Moving But Rather Intriguing Series

**MILD SPOILERS**

Welcome back! Took some time off for personal reasons but, happily, I’m finally ready to jump back in!

Night Sky is a slow burning, new Sci-Fi series streaming on Amazon Prime. Full of warm hearted, sometimes boring, sometimes heart-wrenching pulp, it is strangely fascinating and truly makes me curious what Season Two will look like.

Average Joes?

The series begins in a small Illinois town following the simple lives of Irene (Sissy Spacek) and Franklin (JK Simmons) York. Both retired, Franklin and Irene are a seemingly typical Baby Boomer couple who have been married for ages and fill their days with minutia.

Still grieving from the untimely death of their young adult son Michael years ago, the couple take solace in each other, routine and the other-worldly apparatus that they discovered after digging up a tree in their yard. They created an underground bunker around it and disguised it under their shed.

It is an alien “pod” of sorts, that allows Franklin and Irene to teleport to another room that sits on a seemingly desolate planet. The couple refer to it as “going to see the stars”. There is a door leading out to the planet, but apparently the mice they tested the atmosphere of the planet on, died within two minutes of being outside. When Irene’s health takes a turn for the worse, they begin to wonder if it isn’t because of their years of teleportation.

Source: Amazon Studios

Hey Jude

Facing the glaring actuality of her aging and failing health, Irene falls into despair. Ultimately succumbing to grief, she decides to take her own life by walking out onto the mysterious planet. As she enters the door to go outside, she hears the cries of Jude (Chai Hansen), bloodied and lying on the floor behind her. She decides to take him back to the house and nurse him to health.

Not revealing her intent to Franklin, the couple argue back and forth about housing this newcomer and question the legitimacy of his supposed amnesia on how he got to the pod in the first place. Franklin is extremely wary of him, while Irene takes to “mothering” him, as it seems to give her a new purpose in life.

As the story inches along, we start to get pieces of the puzzle bit by bit. Gracious and kindhearted, Jude attempts to conform to life with the couple, posing as their “caretaker”. Believing that his missing father is in their town, Jude searches for information. As the story moves on, we begin to see that Jude does, in fact, know more than he is letting on.

The Guardians And The “Apostates”

The series begins to pick up when it juxtaposes another story taking place in Argentina. We find out that another family has a teleportation pod and can use it to teleport anywhere. The storyline hints to a veritable “war” that is happening all over our world—as these are not the only places pods are—and there is a group of people called “The Guardians” who believe they are meant to protect the pods and their powers.

Source: Amazon Studios

They search out and kill “apostates”, who may out the existence of the pods or use them in ways that the Guardians don’t believe they should be. The season doesn’t make this whole dynamic entirely clear. Instead, it meanders along, back and forth with the characters, sometimes with painstaking length, laying out a vast foundation for what is to come. It is depicted that the Guardians may be the “bad guys”, but we never get a chance to really delve deeply into either side. By the season’s end, we do start to see some connections between the characters, but much is left up in the air.

In All Honesty…

Night Sky may not resonate with a huge audience, but it definitely has enough to hold on to true SciFi fans who want to figure out all of its mysteries. You’re definitely not going to find out a whole lot about the larger story in Season One, as it seems only to be a setup for Season Two, but there are a lot of other layers to sink your teeth into.

It was enjoyable enough for me though, especially to spend some time with Spacek and Simmons, two legendary actors. Spacek’s Irene is kind and endearing while Simmons’s Franklin is the epitome of a cantankerous Baby Boomer man, with more bark than bite. Simmons does an exquisite job, as usual, handling the ups and downs of the character, while effortlessly pulling out the tears at all the right times.

Hansen does an excellent job with Jude, endearing us all to the character, with his puppy dog eyes and soft, warm demeanor. He brings to Jude an ethereal, wise, “old soul” essence that makes us trust him very early on, but is that what we are meant to do?

Source: Amazon Studios

As the story weaves rather leisurely, in and out, those of us who have seen a few films and written a few scripts over our time start to look more “eagle eyed” at it. We’ve seen those stories that want us to trust characters, only to be led to disappointment when a twist or two ends up showing us their “real” sides. But will that happen? Is Jude really who he seems to be?

There weren’t a lot of mind-blowing action scenes that a lot of SciFi shows have, but Night Sky uses its time to give us the chance to invest in and get to know all of the characters better. Some of the characters can be downright annoying and others portrayed very flatly, but any acting or character flaws are not enough to negate the intriguing possibilities here.

The space effects look beautiful. As a SciFi/space fan I wanted to spend more time on the planet they visited, but again, will have to wait until Season Two to get to the nitty gritty of what is happening there. Season One looks more into life on Earth and the possibilities that are out there, if we just hold on long enough to experience them.

It is a new angle to the stories of the never-ending cycles of life, the search for its meaning and something greater. It is an illustration of things that we all think about with the creativity to captivate our imaginations. It is everything beautifully and darkly human, mixed with the mysteries of all the potential of the Multiverse.

There are no limits to what is possible in and beyond the night sky that we see and the same is true here for life on Earth if we are willing to explore the inner depths of our being. Magic does exist here; it just takes immeasurable endurance of growing pains in order to find it. That, takes great courage indeed.

Night Sky is streaming on Prime Video starting May 20, 2022