Writer: Kartikha Govinda Rajoo

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Watch this if you liked: “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “Spirited Away”.

This is not your average children's cartoon. This animated French film is about a young boy, voiced by Lorànt Deutsch, who grows up in the forest with his grouchy, intimidating father (Jean Reno) who forbids him from discovering the existence of a civilization outside the forest. His friends are the spirits of the forest, whom only he can see and connect with. One day, the father is knocked out in an accident and the young boy, who is unnamed throughout the movie, decides to take him to the nearest village to be cured where he discovers more about love and life.

The style of animation is reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki's work. Hand drawn, the artwork in this animation is whimsical and nostalgic. The representation of the spirits is especially interesting to note. Likely to be manifestations of the boy's subconscious, the spirits are imagined as human figures with different animal heads. The spirits don't talk but the boy is able to connect with them.

The story explores themes like love, death and rejection. The father generally is incapable of showing love to his son. So when the boy goes into the village and befriends the daughter of the village doctor, he is intrigued by the concept of love. He then tried to impart this concept to his father to learn more about his deceased mother and their history with the village. All this amidst rejection is then faced by villagers.

Watch this even if you don't have a kid to watch it with. The movie connects with the inner child in you and might even teach you a thing or two about love and courage.


Cinema Online, 18 November 2013