I also watch the Oscars every year and make an effort to see as many nominees as possible in the theater, the rest at home. Foreign, Best Picture, and Best Animation always take precedence. It never fails to surprise me how bipolar the nominees for animation are. For example, last year Toy Story 3, How To Train Your Dragon, and The Illusionist were all nominated. In the same category. Now, I did like Toy Story 3 and perhaps it did deserve the win -after all, most trilogies get acknowledged through their last film- but after watching The Illusionist I have to say: how did this film not win? And, more importantly, how can a film of such powerful, unusual, and interesting quality be so unheard of in this country?
Of course, the answer to most of my rhetorical questions seems to be money. Oh, well. And likely for this reason Hollywood animation, in my opinion, has become boring and safe and ugly.
It never used to be that way. The early Disney animation (1920s-60s) was fantastic, peaking in the 1940s with the timeless and brilliant films Pinocchio, Dumbo, and Bambi. And the work the studio did before even starting feature-length films, the Silly Symphonies cartoons, is some of the best animation and illustration of all time.
To watch "Flowers and Trees" (1932) click here.
The majority of animation I had seen on television growing up in the 1990s never really grabbed my attention- the stuff that did was much older: early/classic Disney, Fleischer & Famous studios cartoons, and the work of Chuck Jones. Except for Asterix cartoons, I can hardly remember seeing any feature-length animation that wasn't Disney.
Until I saw Spirited Away (2001), that is. In my world where most new animated films now looked chunky, sounded cheesy and overly-celebrity, with plain dull stories, I had been awakened. The most beautiful, fluid, artistic, fascinating, and seductive illustrations and tales were still around... just in Japan. So I embarked on a journey to watch all of Hayao Miyazaki's films, of which I can't think of a single one that isn't simply gorgeous. Here's a short list:
My Neighbor Totoro (1988) -- my personal favorite. I dare you not to smile while watching this.
Spirited Away (2001)
Howl's Moving Castle (2004) -- Incredible plot and visual detail
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
It wasn't long after watching Spirited Away that I started searching for other non-Hollywood/American animated films and soon discovered absolute gems. Here are some other favorites of mine:
A Town Called Panic (2009) -- Why am I not always watching this? Hysterical.
The Triplets of Belleville (2003)
The Illusionist (2010)
The Secret of Kells (2009) -- Brings me to tears
Kirikou and the Sorceress (1998)
Tales of Earthsea (2006)
I'd have an even longer list if I included all the animated shorts and cartoons I love. As mentioned above, I grew up on old, black-and-white cartoons. On one of my DVD shelves can be seen Charlie Brown, School House Rock, Donald Duck, and The Inspector, alongside my full-length favorites. There's no way I can possibly list all that I recommend. But I must take a moment to praise the work of Frederic Back.
Years ago, a friend of mine ordered me to watch the short The Man Who Planted Trees (1987). I did and was totally blown away. I watched Back's other pieces and was entranced. Each one made me feel all warm and snuggly.
If you have 15 mintues, click here to watch Crac (1982). This is a personal favorite.
There are also a few truly gripping animated films for older audiences. Heavy material and incredibly powerful:
Waltz with Bashir (2008)
Persepolis (2007)
If you haven't seen any of these films, I urge you to rent, stream, or borrow one of them today. Make a list, like I did, and start checking them off.
