Sunday, March 30, 2014

Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart (2013) NYICFF 2014

Mathieu Malzieu has co-directed the film version of his novel/concept album for  Luc Besson's Europa Films and the world has gotten a little more whimsical (Actually Malzieu also wrote the script, the music and in the original French version did the voice of Jack)

The plot of the film has Jack being born on the coldest day ever. Its so cold that his heart freezes and is replaced with a cuckoo clock. He will be fine if he never touches the hands, keeps an even temper and never falls in love. Unfortunately on his first day out in the world he promptly falls in love with a mysterious girl who sets his life on the path of finding her again.

Looking like a brighter Tim Burton film, this is a film with great set pieces and magical moments that occasionally seems to be missing something. Plot points are brought up and dropped,  background (Jack's love's family background) is not fully explained and things seem to not quite linked together. I got the sense that the filmmakers knew the story way too well to tell it so anyone one coming in blind would get it all. This isn't to say its a bad film, rather its to say that its a good film with great moments.

To be honest I don't see the point of reviewing the film. This is a born cult classic that people are going to either be rapturous about or not. Hell the story already has had how many reiterations?

Truth be told the English cast is great, the songs are wonderful, and the bits are great. Whats not to love.

I would like to ask, what the hell is Jack the Ripper doing in this film?

Co- Director Stephane Berla was at the screening and there was a Q&A afterward...actually after he took video of the crowd for Malzieu back home.

Berla is a charming man and he answered lots of questions, some of which I remember.

The end is what ever the viewer wants it to be.

the film took six years to make. Its all computer animated done in the style of stop motion

The references to Don Quixote were the result of one of the song's used in the French Version as well as the casting of Jean Rochefort as Georges Melies

Pictures from the Q&A can be found here

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