Rating: 3.5/5
Suzanne (Stella Gonet) is a stop-motion animator. She has a film that she intends to finish before she dies, no matter what. Arthritis, however, prevents her from continuing work on the film.
So, Suzanne pulls in her daughter, Ella (Aisling Franciosi), to help her. Suzanne pushes Ella past her limits, driven by fierce anger. She has a stroke that leaves her in a coma.
Ella intends to finish Suzanne’s film for her. Ella’s boyfriend, Tom (Tom York), invites her to stay with him, but she rents a studio apartment to finish the movie.
While working on the film, Ella meets a young girl who lives in her building. The girl encourages Ella to abandon the “boring” film she’s working on and tells Ella a story about a girl lost in the woods to use instead.
Ella lets the girl dictate the story’s direction, taking her down a bizarre path where the line between art and life disintegrates.
The motivation for how we get to Ella’s “Lost Girl” film feels flimsy — like, if she isn’t making her mother’s film, why is she making anything?
It’s all to motivate the theme of artist vs. craftsperson — the ability to make vs. the ability to invent. The film also explores how animation turns its creators into puppets, performing their routines to arrive at work. Or perhaps the filmmaker just wants an excuse to throw these weird and gross images together.
I like the stop-motion film! It’s creepy as hell and shows influence from Jan Švankmajer and David Lynch’s early shorts.
Aisling Franciosi sells the premise and brutal scenes exceptionally well — everyone else… not so much.
The story’s trajectory may be familiar, but the style and texture are incredibly enjoyable.