Could ‘Waltz with Bashir’ be This Year’s ‘Persepolis’?
An animated film you may not have heard of...
In preparing for the upcoming Oscar season I had to add a couple of new movies today. The first was Happy-Go-Lucky from Mike Leigh (Vera Drake) and the other is an Israeli animated film called Waltz with Bashir and visually it looks a lot like A Scanner Darkly, but tonaly it seems to be capturing a bit more of the realistic side of things much in the way Persepolis did last year when it made some waves, but the difference with Waltz with Bashir is that it doesn’t seem to have any of the “humor” aspects Persepolis had.
Personally I was not a fan of Persepolis. It felt like one big giant story crammed into a very short film. It just didn’t work for me and the humor I mentioned above is in quotes because I also didn’t find it all that funny. However, there is no denying that other people liked Marjane Satrapi’s comic come to life and people are already cheering Waltz with Bashir.
The synopsis goes like this:
One night at a bar, an old friend tells director Ari Folman about a recurring nightmare in which he is chased by 26 vicious dogs. Every night, the same number of beasts. The two men conclude that there’s a connection to their Israeli Army mission in the first Lebanon War of the early eighties. Ari is surprised that he can’t remember a thing anymore about that period of his life.
Intrigued by this riddle, he decides to meet and interview old friends and comrades around the world. He needs to discover the truth about that time and about himself. As Ari delves deeper and deeper into the mystery, his memory begins to creep up in surreal images …
A visit to the official site tells you the message of Folman’s film is hitting home:
“The message of the futility of war has rarely been painted with such bold strokes.” - Mary Corliss, Time
“Waltz With Bashir is an extraordinary, harrowing, provocative picture. We staggered out of the screening in a daze.” - Xan Brooks, The Guardian
There are more if you want to check them out right here and they are all in reaction to the film’s debut at Cannes this year. The first two trailers are available and featured below starting with the teaser and then the official trailer.
The film is set to open on December 26 in NY and LA and there is no telling on when or if it will go wide as Sony Pictures Classics has a screwy way of releasing their films. I guess that also plays into the role of whether or not it wants to be this year’s Persepolis. Sony Classics had a film many were behind with Persepolis but it never caught much steam. I am not sure if that is due to more people ultimately agreeing with me and thinking it wasn’t that good or if the mighty Ratatouille/Pixar train just wouldn’t be stopped.
I terms of Waltz, I am hoping I get to see it in the late mad dash to catch up with all films before the end of the year, but only time will tell. Check out the trailers and click here to see the first still from the film.
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