15. “I Lost My Body” (2019)
The success of Jeremy Clapin’s “I Lost My Body” is curious, but entirely deserved. The first animated film to take home the Critics’ Week prize in Cannes, it tells the story of a dismembered hand trying to make its way back across Paris to return to its owner. The narrative is mystical and elusive, as the perspective flits between that of the hand, named Rosalie, and the baffling owner Nafouel in the events leading up to the split. The feeling is wistful and hypnotic, the artwork simple and effective. Clapin works in muted tones and flat lines visually, echoing engrossing graphic novels more than anything Pixar would attempt. In the symbiosis of broad strokes, simple ambitions and a particularly evocative and enrapturing score by Dan Levy, there’s something totally enchanting about the peculiarity of “I Lost My Body” – certainly something to take as a good sign, considering Netflix, of all places, were the first to rush to pick this up. – Ella Kemp
14. “Kubo and the Two Strings” (2016)
There are so many ingredients in Laika’s stop-motion triumph “Kubo and the Two Strings” that make it utterly beloved. The texture of the young hero Kubo’s hair; the vivid personality of his anthropomorphic snow monkey friend; the gold sparkles of his shamisen; the sheer breadth, both visual and allegorical of the mythologized world Travis Knight establishes in his directorial debut. Stories of young children going on magical quests exist in the dozens, but Kubo stands out because of its ambition and sense of adventure. Magic is often mentioned in countless movies, but much less often manifested with the open-hearted intensity as it is here. Whether it’s in the glare of the Sisters, the width of Raiden the Moon King or the clear of the night sky, there’s always more to discover in Kubo’s world that you can’t help but feel sucked into. In a story about a search for a missing eye, the animators certainly do a tremendous job in reminding the viewer really all there is to marvel at. – EK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vex0gPFnBvM&t=1s
13. “The Red Turtle” (2016)
Studio Ghibli’s first international co-production entrusted Michael Dudok de Wit to tell a universal story to break the whole world’s heart – and he did so entirely without dialogue. “The Red Turtle” follows a shipwrecked man trying to find his life on a deserted island, and, there, he meets – that’s right – a giant red turtle. It’s a wildly moving picture, born from a stripped-back approach that trusts audiences to connect with evocative images and urgent feeling. Naturally, color is everything – and so to choose red as the crucial accent color never lets the image of the turtle, who goes on to have stunning metaphorical/philosophical importance, fade from view. The blues and beiges of the island are painted in soft strokes, in the way that Ghibli always captures the vast expanses of nature so skilfully. Beyond the visuals, the simple relationships that develop through headstrong storytelling are staggering in their believability, reminding you just how easy it can be to communicate emotion with another human being. Watching “The Red Turtle” is a gently hypnotic experience – one it feels jarring to wake up from once the credits roll, and the loud noises of the rest of the world have to resume. – EK
12. “Inside Out” (2015)
Joy, fear, anger, disgust, and sadness: the emotions everyone is governed by are brought to life as luminous balls of color in Pixar’s major achievement “Inside Out.” The film tracks the complicated feelings of one young girl, Riley, as she her life is uprooted and she moves to a new city, but mainly takes place inside her mind. Those five governing feelings are embodied by miniature sized characters, not quite humans, but certainly much more than nondescript shapes. The film breaks down hefty concepts for young viewers with simple, memorable colors discerning different moods and unscrambling knotty scenarios. Every feeling is tackled, making the biggest failures and greatest successes feel within reach – all within the thought palace of one young girl. When the film moves further into the world of Riley’s inner mind, and characters walk through walls full of individual memories, each a shining ball of a different color, it becomes almost overwhelming to consider someone thought this up. And don’t get us started on Bing-Bong. Most stylish, emotional, loveable friend – real or imaginary – the last 10 years has seen, by far. – EK
11. “Isle of Dogs” (2018)
Wes Anderson first made his foray into stop-motion in 2009 with “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and clearly learned a thing or two by the time he made “Isle of Dogs.” The extravagant, frenetic, stimulating film takes place in Japan and follows both a pack of banished dogs and a young boy searching for his missing mutt in a near-distant future. The director capitalizes both on the country’s traditional aesthetics that deal in enormous volumes broken down into tiny details (see: the sashimi cutting scene), and he toys with the grooming of a canine’s coat to explore just how loud images can speak when they are crafted with human touch in mind. The film celebrates everything the director has shown to care about, by focusing on the perspective of a young child in a confusing world. There’s a frivolous sense of wonder and energy that keeps the pace up and never drops the ball. Layers and layers of exposition make this a real tactile treat – the soft, if scrappy, fur of all the exiled dogs; the rough fabric of every human’s battle uniform (politicians, protesters and chefs alike); the accumulating garbage of a decaying world, that still needs to move and breathe until its very last breath. – EK
