Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? (2013)

A series of interviews featuring linguist, philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky done in hand-drawn animation.

Director:

Michel Gondry

Writer:

Michel Gondry

Stars:

Noam Chomsky, Michel Gondry, Richard Feynman

1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Michel Gondry	...	Himself
Noam Chomsky	...	Himself

Storyline

A series of interviews featuring linguist, philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky done in hand-drawn animation.

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Plot Keywords:

interview | analysis | epistemology | continuity | why | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Animation

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 November 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$31,800, 22 November 2013, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$132,409, 3 January 2014

Company Credits

Production Co:

Partizan Films, Partizan

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Most of the film is framed in 4:3. However, some sequences extend beyond this.

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Connections

References The Thorn in the Heart (2009)

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Soundtracks

Bends
Written by Howard Skempton
Performed by HCD Ensemble

User Reviews

totally unique, surprisingly compelling

One of the other reviews here is very negative. That review's author uses terms like "self- indulgent" to describe this film.

That term is totally accurate. This movie is the definition of self-indulgence. A series of edited interviews is played while hand-drawn animations form and transform on the screen. That's the film. It sounds ridiculous.

But it drew me in and captivated me. The topics range from linguistic theory, Noam Chomsky's views on various things, and musings about his childhood. Gondry's own thoughts and interpretations, also included, seemed to miss the mark fairly often. But I felt like Gondry's voice ended up adding something to the movie. He is someone trying to understand complex concepts: sometimes he gets it, sometimes it doesn't seem like he does. From what I've written so far, this movie may sound like a nightmare to you.

However, the whole concept was so original, and the drawings were engaging and interesting - - like a hand-drawn kaleidoscope with patterns that change depending on the topic being discussed. Gondry's thick french accent might distract some viewers, but I found it intelligible (there are also hand-drawn "subtitles" when he speaks, although I found them harder to read than I did to understand Gondry's accent). Chomsky has always struck me as a compelling speaker. He is soft-spoken but knows his lines (speaking figuratively) and makes his points well.

All in all a unique and surprisingly entertaining experience. 8/10