A girl dives into a lake to join her friends only to reappear minutes later, her friends panicking, nearly the other side of the lake.
A boy cycles through the forest talking to a small yellow bear who not only talks back but actively follows the boy.
It's clear from the opening scenes of 'Animals' that this is not going to be a straightforward narrative. What it is, however, is an achingly beautiful and surreal film which tries to capture some of the beauty, pain and uncertainty of adolescence.
The film follows Pol, a confused and insular teenager, and his relationship with those around him in particular his small yellow teddy-bear, and imaginary friend, Deerhoof. Pol is a complex character, unsure of what he wants and unable to put his childhood behind him and move into the 'adult' world around him despite the insistence of his brother and his few human friends. His world is further complicated by the arrival at school of new-boy Ikari who Pol is immediately drawn to but who represents the dangers of the new grown-up world.
Oriol Pla is wonderful as Pol, injecting the character with the right amount of moody reflectiveness and naiveté without making the character irritating.
Comparisons with 'Donnie Darko' will abound and these are not unjustified, several of the films motifs and set-pieces seem to be lifted almost directly from Richard Kelly's film; indeed, even the overall tone and atmosphere seem to be paying homage to Darko. However the film does not suffer as a result of these, instead they serve to make the world of the film richer and even more beautiful.
One of the more interesting elements of the film is its exploration of the consequences of adults' decisions on adolescents' lives, in particular the information adults choose to share and withhold from the teenagers present. Much like the aforementioned 'Donnie Darko', this is all done without a huge number of adult characters being presented in the film. Indeed the one adult who is present in their lives, Martin Freeman playing Pol's English teacher, is shown as well-meaning but hampered by the other adults and the rules of the society around him.
This is a film which invites discussion and analysis; there will inevitably be some who will find the lack of answers frustrating and will find some of the more quirky elements of the film irksome. For me, however, these plot elements added to the film's beauty rather than subtracting from it, and felt far less contrived than several other recent 'quirky' releases like 'Stoker'.
The film unfolds at a leisurely pace until the final moments where the main storyline, as well as the sub-plots which have been bubbling away, reach a sudden and explosive climax.
This is a beautiful film which will stay with you for days and invites a second viewing.
A boy cycles through the forest talking to a small yellow bear who not only talks back but actively follows the boy.
It's clear from the opening scenes of 'Animals' that this is not going to be a straightforward narrative. What it is, however, is an achingly beautiful and surreal film which tries to capture some of the beauty, pain and uncertainty of adolescence.
The film follows Pol, a confused and insular teenager, and his relationship with those around him in particular his small yellow teddy-bear, and imaginary friend, Deerhoof. Pol is a complex character, unsure of what he wants and unable to put his childhood behind him and move into the 'adult' world around him despite the insistence of his brother and his few human friends. His world is further complicated by the arrival at school of new-boy Ikari who Pol is immediately drawn to but who represents the dangers of the new grown-up world.
Oriol Pla is wonderful as Pol, injecting the character with the right amount of moody reflectiveness and naiveté without making the character irritating.
Comparisons with 'Donnie Darko' will abound and these are not unjustified, several of the films motifs and set-pieces seem to be lifted almost directly from Richard Kelly's film; indeed, even the overall tone and atmosphere seem to be paying homage to Darko. However the film does not suffer as a result of these, instead they serve to make the world of the film richer and even more beautiful.
One of the more interesting elements of the film is its exploration of the consequences of adults' decisions on adolescents' lives, in particular the information adults choose to share and withhold from the teenagers present. Much like the aforementioned 'Donnie Darko', this is all done without a huge number of adult characters being presented in the film. Indeed the one adult who is present in their lives, Martin Freeman playing Pol's English teacher, is shown as well-meaning but hampered by the other adults and the rules of the society around him.
This is a film which invites discussion and analysis; there will inevitably be some who will find the lack of answers frustrating and will find some of the more quirky elements of the film irksome. For me, however, these plot elements added to the film's beauty rather than subtracting from it, and felt far less contrived than several other recent 'quirky' releases like 'Stoker'.
The film unfolds at a leisurely pace until the final moments where the main storyline, as well as the sub-plots which have been bubbling away, reach a sudden and explosive climax.
This is a beautiful film which will stay with you for days and invites a second viewing.