Reviews

Well deserved award-winning directors Stéphane Aubier & Vincent Patar are to be forever commended for ingeniously and painstakingly creating what can easily be considered one of the top animation films of all time. An adventure/comedy/romance/drama with simple yet detailed & inspired stop-motion animation much like Gumby, Pingu or Henry Selick's work for Burton. So much spirit, charm, wit & creativity culminate into a unique explosion of joy that overwhelms the senses. Every frame is a roller-coaster of activity so packed with inspiration that I wonder what was left out to meet the time limit and when it ended I wanted more. This is destined to become a cult classic for all ages and I eagerly await the multi-talented, award-winning team's next project. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I saw this at FantasticFest 2008. Great LARP'er story, will appeal widely to nerds & geeks of all levels. The movie has the style and pacing of a comic book, even transitions done in panels, which don't feel gimmicky. Much like "Revenge of the Nerds" this film does the "hot model falls in love with a dork" plot, but without coming across as cheesy. Also reminded me of "Clerks" set in a comic store, in Sweden, but it could have been made in the US as far as the story goes (apparently RPG'ers share a common bond the world over). Clever effects and editing, great characters & actors, had me hooked on the first day of the festival. Another film I watched more than once, and holds up well with repeated viewings. Deserves a wide US release.. catch it if you can!

More genius seen at FantasticFest 2008, this time from France. Another great example of what you can do with no money and buckets of creativity & dedication. Inspired characters & storytelling, simple settings & great cinematography, considering it's all done on a low-end digital camera.

An unemployed man in competition for what seems to be the only available job in his town gets a mysterious jar of face-cream for Christmas which, when applied, causes everyone who sees him to think he's a celebrity and treat him like one.

This is a simple fable about star-status and letting the ego overwhelm personality, with references to pop-culture and society, with clever dialogue and witty actors (most unknown), this film has a lot of personality.

Apparently this hasn't broken out of France as of yet, other than a few festivals, but hopefully this will provoke someone to give Reynald Bertrand support with another feature - I'd love to see what he can do with a budget.

Highly Recommended

Saw this at FantasticFest 2008. This is a perfect example of storytelling. I cannot say enough good about this film. Effective in the simplest ways, never beats you over the head with the vampire idea, yet goes where so many blood-sucker movies haven't - I saw interesting, simple questions raised in the vampire-mythos that no one else has touched upon - along with stylish nods to many old fairy-tales and fantasy stories.

Great tension, pacing, cinematography and incredible actors give a compelling story everything they need to and more. It's no surprise it won the audience favorite award. I watched it twice during the festival, and brought many grateful friends the 3rd time during it's encore after the fest. More enjoyable every time. Apparently it will be redone for the USA, and hopefully they won't botch it up, but for my money this film doesn't need anything new.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Saw this at FantasticFest 2008. Incredible entry from South Korea, it's no surprise why it was one of their top films. Dark, moody & plenty of tension, this crime thriller is hard to watch without feeling anxiety. Reminded me of watching "Silence of the Lambs" the first time.

An ex-cop turned pimp loses some of his girls and decides to use his detective skills to track them down. He finds and catches the killer, but the law won't hold him for lack of evidence, so pimp-cop takes it into his own hands the hard & painful way. Exceptionally well acted, paced, shot and not a scent of Hollywood.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I saw this at FantasticFest 2008. This collection of strange tales is interesting.

"Interior Design" I love Gondry's style, & his entry was enjoyable as expected - a girl feels she's lost her purpose in life, & changes accordingly. Great effect of her gradual transformation.

"Shaking Tokyo" Well done film - after 10 years indoors, a recluse man decides to go outside for the love of a recluse woman. Mostly narrated with thoughts of the man who has been cooped up too long. An interesting character piece, well acted and shot.

"Merde" This film starts off strong with an incredible opening sequence of continuous action for about 1/4 of a mile in the city, but when the character gets caught the story becomes a tiresome trial that no one understands, because there is lengthy "dialogue" in a fake language with no subtitles. could have benefited from being 10 minutes shorter.

I saw this at FantasticFest in Austin, TX 2008. In 2007 we got TimeCrimes (also from Spain) which was a huge success, and this was another brilliant, fun, action-packed adventure.

A mad scientist & his sadistic genetically-altered nurse, along with their horde of experimental mistakes vow to take over the world and turn all humanity into invincible super-powered slaves, but a few decide to fight back. Chock full of style, humor, a litany of great characters portrayed by an excellent cast, with enough story elements for several movies, this is film-making at it's finest, low budget or otherwise. Give these guys some real money so they can make the sequel!