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Blurred Lines: Animated Movies For Adults
It's an exciting time to be making, and watching, animated films. With studios like Dreamworks, Pixar and Studio Ghibli steadfastly pumping out one masterpiece after another, breaking new ground and attracting new audiences, it's never been more obvious that animated movies are fun for both kids and their parents.
However, with all the attention given to movies like Frozen, Up and Wreck-It Ralph, it's easy to forget that not all animated films are made with kids in mind. If you're in the mood to watch something animated but not too kid-friendly, here are just a few of your many options outside of the Disney, Pixar and anime canon:
In the realm of animated documentaries, you may want to check out Waltz with Bashir. This Israeli film follows writer/director Ari Folman as he seeks to uncover his own repressed memories of serving in the 1982 Lebanon War. Having interviewed friends, colleagues and other veterans of the conflict, Ari uses animation to re-enact their stories, bringing words to life with a gritty realism that you won't find in docs like An Inconvenient Truth. Scenes of chaos, confusion, guilt and alienation are set to an eclectic soundtrack blending electronica, classical music, English punk rock and original Hebrew compositions; if you've ever wondered what Hebrew rock sounds like, here's your chance to find out.
Patrons who grew up loving Walt Disney’s Fantasia will probably embrace the Italian parody, Allegro non Troppo, where the orchestra is made up of little old ladies, the animator has been chained up in a dungeon for five years, and the music includes pieces from Ravel, Stravinsky and Vivaldi. The animated segments feature sad kittens, copycat cavemen, busy bees and a brand new reinterpretation of Fantasia's classic "March of the Dinosaurs".
Some animated films feature little or no talking whatsoever. By relying instead on action and character body language to tell a story, these movies allow viewers to better appreciate the richly detailed artwork that goes into every frame. Anyone who loves French cinema should really get a kick out of The Triplets of Belleville. This Oscar-nominated French comedy about a grandmother's quest to rescue her cyclist grandson from the mob is a zany blend of slapstick, car chases, and catchy jazz tunes... with no subtitles at all (well, barely any)!
For a darker sort of silent comedy, check out Idiots & Angels. This surreal parable about a mean-spirited barfly who finds himself suddenly transforming into an unlikely angel was written, directed and animated (by hand!) by underground cartoonist Bill Plympton. Did I mention that the musical score features Tom Waits?
Alright, even though I promised no anime films on this list, I have to (kind of) break that promise with Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5tellar 5tar 5ystem . What we have here is an entire Daft Punk album, transformed by anime creator Leiji Matsumoto into a feature-length story about a kidnapped alien band. It's sure to captivate any fans of music videos and space operas, or anyone looking for an introduction to Daft Punk.
Director Richard Linklater, perhaps best known for his Before Sunrise trilogy and the groundbreaking Boyhood, has also made a couple of truly unique animated films using rotoscoping animation, in which artists take live-action footage and draw over it. The result is an incredibly lifelike visual style, colored in with a kaleidoscopic palette.
Linklater's film Waking Life deals with the subject of dreams, reality and just about everything in between. The plot, such as it is, follows a man traveling through his dreams, and the people he meets along the way. It's very much a "talking heads" picture; every scene is a conversation, a monologue or a debate, and the subjects discussed range from philosophy to religion to politics to beyond. If you like to hear new ideas and intelligent, thought-provoking dialogue, this is one for you.
It's probably safe to say that when most people hear the words "animated short film," they don't think of Franz Kafka, author of The Trial and The Metamorphosis. But Japanese animator Koji Yamamura thought differently; you can see his unsettling (and very accurate) rendition of Kafka's short story "A Country Doctor," along with his other shorts, in Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor & Other Fantastic Films. The landscape is a shifting, swirling winter wasteland, the color palette is a dark and dismal blend of grey, black and sepia tones, and the movements and characterizations are exaggerated and grotesque. It's hard to imagine a more appropriate visual interpretation of this bleakly surreal little tale, from the writer who gave us the word "Kafkaesque."
Of course, there’s no rule saying that, just because a film is adult-oriented, it has to be serious and sophisticated. If what you’re looking for is something silly and simple, with plenty of action, swearing and toilet humor, then Aachi & Ssipak is the movie for you. Take a dystopian shoot-'em-up like Robocop or the The Matrix, then imagine it filtered through the minds of Beavis and Butthead... and you'll have some idea of what to expect from this film!
All these movies are adult-oriented, but Fear(s) of the Dark is about as "adults-only" as it gets; this French horror anthology film is dedicated to the things that make us squirm. Six different animators present their own stories about monstrous animals, haunted children, extraordinary fears and commonplace ones, all eerily rendered in black, white and gray. Watch it with the lights on. Sweet dreams...
Of course, there's always more! Adults can find plenty of good animated movies around, if you're willing to look for it! What else should we keep an eye out for? Share your suggestions below!
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