I saw it with three of my sons this weekend. I really did not know what it was about but the animation looked interesting and it was Scorcese, after all. Since my kids recommended it I figured it was a sci-fi story about a boy and his robot. I had no idea what I was in for.
It was extraordinary. Delightful. Charming. And it did not seem too long at all as I enjoyed the story and was thoroughly enraptured by the visuals. What surprised me was that it is really about the magic of making movies. Based in the story of one of the cinema’s real pioneers, Georges Melies, it clearly captured the heart of making art and it’s power to enrich our lives. it was about loss and recovery and the power of love and the efficacy of art as an instrument of healing.
The mix of live actors and animation is the best I’ve ever seen. Perfectly appropriate since Melies was such a master of special effects himself.
So in case anyone is wondering, I give it 4 out of 4 stars. See it.
I knew very little about it, and that’s why I wanted to go see it - wanted to be surprised, and I was. I had no idea about the Georges Méliès plot, and wonder now if it’s going to be lost on the majority of the audience, certainly children. I wonder if that might make it less enjoyable, or make people less appreciative?
Thanks for a thoughtful review.