Ernest & Celestine (2012)

Directed by Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar and Benjamin Renner
Written by Daniel Pennace, based on the book by Gabrielle Vincent
Starring Forest Whitaker, Mackenzie Foy, Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally (English version)

The unlikely story of a bear, Ernest, and a young mouse named Celestine who become friends despite the prejudices forced upon them by their individual communities.

Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, this French-produced film is a beautifully drawn family film with timeless themes, with a not-so-subtle message about the dangers of prejudices. It delivers a wonderful story about the two unlikeliest of friends.

Watching the story unfold, it became increasingly clear why all of the American A-listers attached to this movie agreed to be a part of it, despite the limited budget and release. With spectacular watercolor paintings that come to life, it is certainly an animated film like few others.

While it is obvious why computer animation has become the standard within the film industry, it is hard not to regret that fact when watching films such as this. There is this great sense of respect toward the artists who animated the movie, as there tends to be with other, less popular medias of animation such as stop-motion. It gives the entire movie a character that is missing from many of today’s computer animated films.

The fact that stop-motion films are still being made is wonderfully refreshing, and I feel that we, as an audience, have an obligation to see them to keep them from becoming extinct. It is impossible not to appreciate what these animators do.

My Rating: 8/10