He sure is quote, unquote…

Not long after I published my last post I was forced to become part of the functioning world again. And when I say not long I mean it was like an hour later. So that means I really only made it to like eight and a half days of being inside. Why was a forced out of my comfortable cocoon to emerge in the harsh world a horribly twisted and disfigured (dare I say) butterfly? Well one of my criteria for leaving the house came up. Food. It is a necessity to keep me living even if I am not doing anything in particular with my life. But my belly started to rumble and there was nothing to eat therefore I was forced into the cold.

Of course going outside meant I had to make myself presentable. I didn’t want anyone gouging out their eyes at the sight of me. Someone would yell “Oh! The humanity!” another would say, “Dear god what is that thing?!” while some poor mother would cover the eyes of their child and plea, “Won’t somebody please think about the children?” I could not have that. Plus I may go deaf from all the loud exclamations. So I washed and combed and donned and prepped. It was a long arduous ordeal. But as I stepped through the door to embark on my quest and the cool dry air of the night hit I knew it was worth it. But since then I have made it outside everyday. Aren’t you proud of me? Well I have kind of rejoined the world and now all I really need is a job to be a functioning part of it. But that is left for another day.

One of my outings led me to a movie theatre where I got to partake in a wondrous cinematic experience. I saw Fantastic Mr. Fox.

I got to the theatre just a little early to make sure I got a good seat. I knew it wouldn’t be a huge draw since that vampire movie is out but I expected a good number of people in there nonetheless. But as I strolled in past the line-up for New Moon and walked into the correct theatre I was surprised to find only 2 other people in there. At first I thought to myself it is just early and more people would come in. And I was right, and at the beginning of the film a whopping 9 people were in there including myself. And we were given a cinematic treat.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is the story of Mr. Fox. Once young, rebellious and wild he had to put that all aside when he became a father. But after 12 fox years his safe and boring life has gotten to him and again he wants to feel like his young self. He plans one more raid on the meanest farmers in the area, Boggis, Bunce, and Bean. But everything doesn’t go as planned.

The movie was great. As I sat and let the story unfolded in front of my eyes I had a stupid smile on my face. I simply enjoyed it. Even though this movie is based on a book of the same name by Roland Dahl this movie is typical Wes Anderson.  It is an analysis of the family dynamic but pays very close attention to the father son relationship. It is subtle, complex and sweet.

The animation was a welcome break from the onslaught of CG animated and 3D films out there. People seem to have forgotten that simple classic techniques can look better than over using new fangled technologies. Even though it is a tedious process the stop-motion added another dimension to the movie. They used various materials to give everything a texture, a realism, an atmosphere that made it seem more real than any new computer animation technique can.

The script coupled with the voice talent that included George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Willem Defoe and Wes Anderson himself, was fun and witty at the same time. It was interesting to see the different characters unfold, it was simple and complex at the same time. The story is easy and straight forward but the characters are all multifaceted and interesting.

Even though the movie is based on a kid’s book it is not childish. There is a lot of adult content in there. I think that is why it has been rated PG. But kids will enjoy it. There is enough going on. It fun and colourful on the surface for the kids but all the subtlety and nuances are there for the adults to enjoy.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is an excellent film I will even go as far as to say it is quote, unquote fantastic. I feel really really sad that only 9 people were in the theatre to enjoy the movie.  With all the cinematic garbage out there you would think people would be interested in seeing a treasure but unfortunately that is not true.

There is even a really great website for the movie. It has character profiles, images, free downloads and the beautiful music from the film. It also has a couple of great featurettes about the making of the movie that makes me appreciate the finished product even more.

If you can’t tell by now I highly recommend seeing Fantastic Mr. Fox. It is worth seeing on the big screen so you can get the full experience. Because of it I may find myself venturing outside more. Hopefully all my outings will be as pleasing.

Tra