It’s often said that dogs are man’s best friend, but in the beautiful and original animated film “Marona’s Fantastic Tale,” human beings are fickle companions.
The film begins in Europe with a dog, Marona (voiced by Lizzie Brocheré), at the end of her life. In her final moments, she reflects on the owners she loved and lost, remembering how each took her on a whirlwind of discovery, adoration, crisis and desertion. Marona has three real homes in her life, and past abandonments have taught her that heartbreak waits in every happiness. But fortunately, the film stays buoyant through its unique, boisterous animation.
The director Anca Damian has a playful drawing style, and her kinetic frames are always creating something new for the audience to enjoy. Images appear pasted together like a collage, with elements assembled from distinct styles. Pen and ink settings — like the lonely alley where Marona takes refuge after being abandoned by Manole (Bruno Salomone), her acrobatic first owner — may be strewn with crayon boxes, which are then packed up into colored marker trucks and driven away.
Characters generally stick to the same color scheme and shape, but the sense of play that infuses the entire film finds expression in the character design too. Manole has limbs that seem almost liquid, stretching and twisting and reaching all across the screen, more like a stream of water than a solid form. Istvan (Thierry Hancisse), the construction worker who picks Marona up after Manole can no longer support her, is all bold lines and stable blocks of bright color. Marona is the most plain of all, drawn as she is in inky black and white. Her simplicity in such a vibrant, eclectic frame makes her joys and sorrows all the more touching.
Marona’s Fantastic Tale
Not rated. In Romanian and French, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 32 minutes. Watch on virtual cinemas.
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June 11, 2020 at 06:58PM
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‘Marona’s Fantastic Tale’ Review: A Dog’s Life for Better or Worse - The New York Times
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