Movie with Abe: Calamity Jane

Calamity Jane
Directed by Rémi Chayé
FIAF Animation First Festival

Society creates expectations for people that very often tend to box them in rather than allow them to thrive, and while they do evolve, hopefully in a positive way, over time, that process tends to take considerably longer than it should. Those who seek to define the potential of certain groups or individuals embrace a willful blindness to abilities that may be clearly on display, dismissing unexpected talent or interest as an overreach or challenge to authority that should be quashed rather than encouraged.

In 1863, twelve-year-old Martha Jane Cannary travels west with her family and a group of pioneers. Her father is sick, and she is charged with taking care of her younger siblings Lena and Elijah. She is taunted by the boys in the group for her eagerness to learn things only men are supposed to do, and she clashes with Abraham, the stoic leader of the caravan. When a soldier, Samson, shows up and tells them that they are far off course, Martha befriends him but is soon blamed when he disappears along with many of the pioneers’ possessions, so she sets out to find him and show her true value.

This is a fun and creative look at the origin story of the real-life Calamity Jane, imagining her spirit and determination to be taken seriously at a young age. What she experiences is rather timeless even if such encounters these days wouldn’t take place in covered wagons and involve an act quite as rebellious as a girl wearing pants. This film strongly grounds her motivations and formative time, using the vast backdrop of the unknown terrain to make Martha’s journey all the more enticing, full of adventure and unexpected developments along the way.

It is perhaps a bit jarring to hear this story play out in French since it’s a distinctly American tale, one that makes frequent mention of places like Little Rock and Oregon. Yet that’s surely how many international audiences feel about a large number of stories set in other countries being brought to the screen in English, and there’s really nothing lost in translation here. The illustrations bring the American landscape to marvelous life, highlighting its shapes and colors in a beautiful way. Eighty-two minutes is a perfect length for this Oscar-eligible animated feature that tackles an American legend and creates a fully enthralling, enjoyable experience that should be suitable for all ages.

B+

Movie with Abe: Josep

Josep
Directed by Aurel
FIAF Animation First Festival

Grandparents tend to tell their grandchildren stories about their lives, sharing a piece of a different time with them, regardless of whether they actually express any interest in hearing it. They may repeat the same tales over and over, especially as memories start to blend and become less clear. Their descendants may find them boring or off-putting initially and come to gain an appreciation for them as time goes on and they grow up, and particularly as they see that someone they have almost known won’t be around forever, desperate for one last chance to hear familiar information or even something new.

An old man, Serge, lies in a hospital bed in his home, where his daughter drops off his grandson, Valentin. Though at first Valentin would rather watch TV, he gradually becomes enthralled by the narrative his unexpectedly lucid grandfather weaves for him. Lengthy flashbacks show him as a young artist serving as a gendarme who is later imprisoned following the Spanish Civil War in a French concentration camp, where he has the opportunity to befriend the famed artist Josep Bartoli, who proves to be a lasting influence on him.

This film marks the feature film debut for director Aurel, best known as a cartoonist for the French newspaper Le Monde. It’s a stirring and creative way to express its protagonist’s life journey and the way in which he interacts with Josep. The impressionist styles utilized add gravity and emphasis to the horrors that Serge experiences, almost more disturbing when drawn and colored than when created with makeup and visual effects. The level of detail employed in the characters’ faces also allows them to be expressive and stoic at the same time.

Art enthusiasts will surely appreciate this prominent spotlight on Josep and the appearance of other figures such as Frida Kahlo throughout the story. All audiences should find some degree of relatability in the way that Serge merges moments together to impart to his grandson, particularly when he objects to the likelihood of something having occurred when Valentin simply repeats back what he had heard directly from him. Running just seventy-one minutes, this beautiful piece of nostalgic animation is a chronicle both of the many effects and consequences of war and the intimacy of family and friendship. Its approach may not be engaging enough for some viewers, but its concept is sensitive, delicate, and fitting for the story of stories it wants to tell.

B+