Boy and the World

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Jay W "The Boy and the World" is a 2014 animated film, written, directed and drawn by Alê Abru. The film focuses on a boy searching for his father out in the world. That might be the premise of the story but that is not what it is about. Explaining the story of the movie would be pointless, the movie is less about sequential events and more about a feeling. The movie is almost completely dialogue free, and any speaking that is heard is spoken in gibberish. I laugh at the idea of people trying to find an "English Dub" of the movie that has no spoken words. What I appreciate about the movie is the fact that it is presenting this story in a manner that capitalizes on the medium of animation. This film would not have nearly the same impact if it was done as a live action movie. The fact that it is animated in this specific style helps emphasize the idea that it is being seen through a child's perspective. I'll compare it to "To Kill a Mockingbird" where the events are being told through the point of view of a child. Telling it from this perspective and with these drawings help highlight the experience. The fact that the people in this world are drawings and the people on ads and TV are all made up of magazine photos, is a fun way to show how marketing is so artificial. Being dialogue free, the movie is full of visual story telling beats like that. When the movie is giving its message through clever visual story telling it is good. But there is a point where the movie stops showing the message and begins shouting the message at the top of their lungs. Even putting the whole movie on pause to scold their audience about industrialization and pollution. The movie was doing a solid job at teaching, until they paused to start preaching. An animated film with no dialogue can work. "Red Turtle", "The Illusionist" and both "Shaun the Sheep" movies all had no understandable talking. But the story and motives need to be clear and simple. "Tom and Jerry" is a perfect example. Their shorts can work in all countries because it is immediately clear what the characters want, the cat wants to catch the mouse. The Boy in this film lacks a clear narrative through line. He has a simple motive, but he gets distracted so easily, that the story seems to meander. The kid is searching for his dad but gets distracted by a kaleidoscope and wanders blindly into a construction yard. I love the passion and appreciate that the film was a low budget passion project. The animation style is unique, and the visuals are clever. But the movie comes across as heavy handed and the story is unfocused. If you are a fan of animation and are curious about utilizing simple shapes to convey complex stories, this is a good movie for you. If you are just a fan of movies for story telling purposes, this movie isn't for you. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 12/01/24 Full Review theartistphilip Great animation style with a story that tells so much with little to no words. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/26/22 Full Review Audience Member Beautiful movie and simple simple animation. -Alex Brockovich (Mundo Cine LA) Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member The colors, the background, the characters and the music were reflecting the people and the government of Brazil. Some problems like poverty, corruption and destruction of the country continued to this day. I hope that everyone understand the message about what happened. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Perfectly minimalistic on animation and big on story Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Creatively illustrated, strikingly beautiful. I really enjoyed the film and am compelled to learn more of the Brazilian industrial revolution and the revolution(s) of its peoples. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Boy and the World

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