Jude Anthany Joseph's third feature, after Ohm Shanti Oshana and Oru Muthassi Gadha, released on Prime Video at midnight today. This seemingly feel-good film, also seemingly made in limited spaces and with a shoestring budget, tackles a concept and issue never tested before in Malayalam cinema circles. In Sara'S, we follow the life of Sara Vincent (Anna Ben), a young, bubbly, yet unapologetic filmmaker who struggles to make it big in the industry. She continuously assists male directors and is in the scripting works of her dream film. Sara has decided, from her school days, that she would not bear any kids. This is when she meets Jeevan (Sunny Wayne); her relationship with him subsequently brings her ideology and decision into a confrontation with the established norms of society, family and child-rearing. Anna Ben in Sara'S The best aspect in which Sara'S has excelled, without doubt, is its hard-hitting taut script. Debutant Akshay Hareesh deserves praise for managin...
Animation giant Pixar's latest motion picture, Luca, released on Disney+ recently. Directed by debutant Enrico Casarosa, the premise of the film, interestingly, featured an adolescent sea monster, with the ability to take human form when on the surface, discovering the joy of being amongst humans and nature with his new friends. With its fascinating premise and promising visuals, did it satiate expectations? Here's our review of Luca.
Luca follows the adventures of Luca Paguro, a teenage sea monster (unlike the visceral, violent mythological ones), who is often warned by his parents that the human world is dangerous for them to visit and explore. Still, he wants to break free from his mundane underwater life and seek out something adventurous and daring. This is when he meets Alberto Scorfano, an affable and carefree sea monster who guides Luca to the human world. Even though contrasting personalities meet, their unanimous desire to explore the unknown unites them in a journey of discovery and friendship. In their exploits, they meet Giulia Marcovaldo, a human girl Luca and Alberto befriend in their journey.
Luca creates an interesting world where sea monsters, who live underwater just off the coast of a small Italian town, can easily transform into human form when dry. However, sea monsters are feared and seen as diabolical, ominous creatures by humans, and this becomes a source of identity conflict for both Luca and Alberto.
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| A still from Luca |
The one thing that has worked out excellently in Luca is its breathtaking visuals. But that's not surprising, because it's Pixar. The yardstick of the level of animation set by Pixar is so high that competitors always go for a run for their money when they come up with animated films. It is not just the originality of the story being narrated; it transcends to a domain of technical and creative expertise, that comes with rigorous research and commitment. Luca is set in a world that hasn't been depicted in a movie of this genre before, therefore, the makers had no reference to work with. Here, director Enrico Casarosa's experience and knowledge of his hometown come in handy, and the technical team has wonderfully emulated the director's imagination into the screen. In fact, one of the best contributions by Pixar to cinema is its innovative and creative worlds and its striking characters, like the ones we saw in Inside Out, Toy Story and Soul.
Luca's major highlight is its visuals. The makers craft the town of Portorosso in such a way that it teems with nostalgia, for those who have fallen in love with the elements of Italian culture. The settings and the music also contribute to this heavy nostalgia. We see a protagonist who is pulled like a magnet to the vibrant culture that he sees in the town. The cultural icons of an Italian suburban area are very well depicted- its eternal love affair with pasta, the dreams attached with a Vespa, etc.
The characters of Luca are very likeable and sweet. But they aren't memorable. One shouldn't compare Luca with Pixar's previous productions because, while its world is visually breathtaking, the film's narrative and its characters do not stick at the end. There are some scenes in the film where the lead teenage characters imagine the new stuff that they learn about, and these are some of the best sequences in the film. Even the characters are designed with the intent to portray them in a layered manner. But how impactful and memorable they remain a question.
There's always something to take away after watching movies produced from the Pixar canon. However, Luca doesn't fall on that list. Its inciting incidents and dynamics are oft-visited territories, which I felt the makers could have dared to venture out of.
Pixar doesn't disappoint with Luca, neither does it provide the best cinematic experience. Luca can be watched to savour the feel-good elements- its heartiness, compassion and themes of friendship. But, the film doesn't journey beyond that, which makes this visually captivating film a rather imperfect narrative experience.
Reviewer© rating: 3 stars
Runtime: 95 minutes
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