London Film Festival Day 1: A United Kingdom, The Red Turtle & More
2. The Red Turtle
Sure to be the most divertingly original animation of the year, The Red Turtle is a beautifully animated collaboration between Studio Ghibli and Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Dudok de Wit. While its slow pace and dreamlike logic won't be to all tastes, it's a staggeringly rich, emotional ride all the same.
The premise is simple: a man shipwrecks on an island and finds himself facing off against a red turtle who will change his life forever. There's not much point saying anymore than that, because this is absolutely a film best viewed knowing as little as possible.
It's probably too slow and lacking in incident for the very youngest kids, but for adults and slightly older children, this is a mature, gorgeously-rendered treat with a soulful, heartbreaking score from Laurent Perez Del Mar.
Rating: Kids raised on hyperactive Hollywood animation full of pop-culture references and toilet humour might struggle with this, but for those prepared to immerse themselves in something completely different and not always strictly coherent, The Red Turtle is a true one-of-a-kind movie. 7/10