Reviews

Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet who also helmed the famed, Amelie— it's no doubt that The Young and Prodigious TS Spivet shares some of the director's signatures, particularly when it comes to the visuals. Adapted from a 2010 book, the film brings the best selling work to the screen beautifully.

Telling the tale of 10-year-old TS, who lives with his cowboy father, scientist mother, Miss America-wannabe older sister and twin brother in a remote ranch in Montana. Despite his young age, TS has a passion for science especially cartography (the study of maps). Upon receiving a call from the prestigious Smithsonian Institution that his perpetual motion invention has won a prize and is asked to give a speech. Determined, TS sets for New York. By himself.

This classic children's film takes one on a trip down memory lane and looks at what it means to be family. TS's family is an odd case and every one has a fair share of weirdness and dysfunctionality that hinders their relationship from growing. Is family simply parents and their children living under one roof? Or is it more?

Its vibrant aesthetics and use of warm colors that resemble a retro setting stay true to the film's timeline that is surely a treat. What's more, TS's adventure on discovering himself and his family is the central core of the film suited well with TS' own narration. While the film's tone is not melodramatic but pulls of its serious tone in a light manner, it certainly hits home—what it means to be alone, to be different and to be a family.

This 80 minutes animated feature co-produced Studio Ghibli and Wild Bunch is an embodiment of the power of silence. The Red Turtle has no dialogues but dives into a breathtaking look at the meaning of life. Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 89th Academy Awards and premiering at Un Certain Regard section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, Studio Ghibli departs from its signature anime style into something simpler yet grandeur in the long run.

It tells the story of a man who wakes up in a deserted island. Desperate for escape, he builds his own makeshift boat to set sails— only for it to be destroyed three times by a red turtle. This marks the start of the man's different life stages on the island.

They say, "no man is an island" and true enough, the unnamed man represents loneliness. The red turtle becoming a companion. Studio Ghibli keeps its signature love for nature and showing our relationship with the environment in powerful metaphors. It makes us stop and reflect on our own life subtly. Despite a change in art style that combines both western and eastern features with more simplistic drawings and less facial close-ups, the emotions are heightened by the film's swift pacing and sound.

Marking director Michaël Dudok de Wit's debut feature, The Red Turtle is mesmerizing and beautiful. Its silentness leaves room for interpretation which adds on to viewer engagement. Maybe it's an exaggeration to say that the film is a masterpiece. But the fact that it tugs at your heartstrings especially in its last minutes— maybe it's not.

Blanka marks Japanese documentary director, Kohki Hasei's first feature length. It stars Filipino YouTube talent, Cydel Gabutero in her first on-screen appearance. Following the story of Blanka, an orphaned girl who make ends meet by stealing in order to save enough money to buy a 'mother'; she meets Peter, a blind musician, who teaches her to use her gift of singing to make a proper living.

Being a Filipino myself, Blanka embodies an honest portrayal of a young girl's struggles. Her situation is one of many children in the Philippines. Yet, Hasei depicts her character as neither a hero or a girl worth pitying. She carries at the same time, the innocence of a child by wanting to buy a 'mother' but the maturity of an adult by earning money through her own ways and caring for the blind Peter. Gabutero (Blanka) is a natural on screen, emphasized by Hasei's documentary background.

What makes Blanka worth the watch is, despite its rather dramatic premise, it prefers laughter over tears. Blanka and Peter are a duo that is a joy to watch on screen. Cinematographer Onishi Takeyuki captures the grim slums of Manila with vibrant colors. There are warm overtones and everything is full of sunshine.

This is an honest film that looks at finding happiness during tough times through the help of a friend, or rather, a family.

My Life as a Zucchini was nominated for Best Feature Film at the 89th Academy Awards. And for a 70 minute feature, that says a lot. This French-Swiss stop-motion animation film takes on a mature content but never fails to keep its child-like tone and to an extent, its innocence.

It follows the story of Icare (but prefers to be called Zucchini), who lives with his alcoholic mother. After an accident, Zucchini has been sent to an orphanage by a policeman named Raymond. Zucchini's start at the orphanage is rough—thanks to the Simon, the bully. From there on, we are immersed into Zucchini's adventures as he learns of friendship, of family and of love.

This animated film ravel with its wonderful visuals that reminds us of the days when its was toys over tablets. In a way, this serves as a nostalgic treat for teenagers. Almost every scene carries a powerful meaning. But its greatest feat is looking at the lives of these children through a different lens—they are all abandoned, damaged or broken. One has her mom deported, the other has his father jailed— these are all mature themes but nevertheless, real.

But despite all that, Zucchini and his crew are all still children. They play, they dance, they sing. The film never stops to carry this child-like tone. The colorful aesthetics are impactful and an array of vibrancy spreads across the screen. It is a brave film that looks at life at an emotional depth. It's an eye-opening experience.