CHICKEN WITH PLUMS * (Released to Theaters France 2011)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.4|5.0 Stars ìììì

Chicken With Plums—has imagination, heart. It's just a wonderful story, a French film written by an Iranian author who writes with perfect universal appeal. The acting is superb. The story plays out well. It’s one of 2012’s better 4-star films.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Violinist Nasser Ali Khan (Mathieu Amalric) loses his desire to play violin and decides to go to bed to die. The process takes exactly 8 days. In those days he reviews the future of his children, why he married his wife, the power of prayer, the angel of death, a long-lost love, and how he became a wonderful violinist.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Directors Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Jeremy Burdek and Nadia Khamlichi for making the film possible. Cast include: Edouard Baer, Maria de Medeiros, Golshifteh Farahani, Éric Caravaca, Chiara Mastroianni, Mathis Bour, Enna Balland, Didier Flamand, Serge Avedikian, Rona Hartner, and Jamel Debbouze.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It’s a piece of allegorical art that relies on its own uniquely rhythmic poetry.

* Also known as: Poulet aux Prunes

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

PHANTOM BOY (Toronto International Film Festival Release, Toronto Canada 2015)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.0|5.0 Starsìììì

Phantom Boy—an animated take on out of body experiences and how that could work in a police investigation—is just plain wonderful. Watch it.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Eleven-year-old Léo (voice of Gaspard Gagnol) develops an illness that requires hospitalization. While there  he makes friends with a police officer, Alex (voice of Edouard Baer) who was in pursuit of a man called The Face (voice of Vincent D’Onfrio) when he broke his leg and became hospitalized. When Alex discovers Léo has the special power of being able to move in and out of his body at will while asleep, they team to solve the case.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Directors Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol for directing efforts. Thank you to

Executive Producers Emmanuel Bernard, and Tim Martens (Belgium) for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: L’homme au visage cassés (voice of Jean-Pierre Marielle), Mary (voice of Audrey Tautou), La Taupe (voice of Jackie Berroyer), Léo (voice of Gaspard Gagnol), Titi (voice of Noa Bernaoui-Savreux), Le petit nerveux/Le casseur/L’exterminateur (voice of Patrick Ridremont), Le géant (voice of Patrick Descamps), and Le commissaire (voice of Yves Barbaut).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. This animated film has the WOW factor.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers