Arco

“i wanted things to change” q/a with director ugo bienvenu and producer/actress natalie portman at the burbank amc. what a film. arco is like studio ghibli, e.t., back to the future, and the wild robot all in one package. beautiful hand drawn animation, an excellent english dub, and a heartwarming story about human connection and our stories make this one of the best animated films of the year for me. i went into this film completely blind and only knew that it was featured at cannes earlier this year. as easy as it is to dunk on the french, i cannot deny that they know how to make movies. arco tells the story of a young boy from the future who is eager to explore and wants to travel with the rest of his family through time with their magical rainbow robes. he is denied repeatedly because of his young age, however, he steals his sister’s robe and manages to crash land and get stuck in the late 21st century. he meets a young girl named iris who is lives with her infant brother and a caretaker robot due to her parents always working away from home. the film is very coming of age and never wallows in the dire nature of the ecosystem. there is a clear emphasis on the power of memories and our human voices and how they transcend any disaster and challenge thrown our way. i know that this film wasn’t studio ghibli but man does it match the quality and craft of one of their films. the soaring and uplifting orchestral score aiding the beautiful hand drawn visuals just scream miyazaki in all the best ways. yet the film still manages to be its own thing with original ideas and concepts. if you know you know, but the scene in the cave had me tear up not going to lie. don’t even get me started on the oliver tree looking trio voiced by will ferrell, andy samberg, and flea. my last note on this film before i watch my next one is that this film hit really close to home with the emphasis on wildfire and climate disasters. homes, forests, and structures can all burn and disappear but there is always a rainbow on the other side…