Renaissance Details

Performance Art

A sci-fi, film noir, shot entirely in stark black and white linier graphics, designed to replicate the style of cult French graphic novels, was never going to ring everyone’s bell.

Filmed using the modern animation technique of motion capture, the gorgeous visuals and breathtaking imagery almost, but don’t quite excuse this film its clichéd plot.

The style is certainly ground braking and interesting enough to make the film a worthwhile watch, as we travel through a bladerunneresque Parisian futurescape, but the lack of anything meaty plot wise leaves one feeling a little short-changed.

Huge on style, empty of any real content only the most avid animation fan will want to see this through to its conclusion.

[Highly rated reviewer]

More than a gimmick

Ignoring for a moment the most obvious feature of this film, what we have here is a solid sci-fi set in a not too distant future Paris. A fairly standard story of a rogue policeman conducting an investigation that leads to dark dealings with an over-powerful, quasi-governmental corporation. While not breaking new ground with the story, it is well told and acted. The future described is believable and the motives and actions of all the characters make sense, which is often not the case with 'bad' sci-fi. On the basis of the story alone, this would be an enjoyable futuristic suspense. However, there is the matter of the 'most obvious' feature. The film has been shot in stark monochromatic animation. Truly black and white, rather than gray scale. To begin with, I found it hard to watch, but rather like a well subtitled film when one stops being aware of reading the subtitles, I soon began to tune into the animation style, and 'read' what I was seeing clearly. This innovative visual style lifts the whole film into, for me, must see territory. My only complaint is that sometimes I was so taken with what I was seeing, that I forgot to pay attention to the story and had to back up a bit to work out what was going on. One to watch over again just to luxuriate in the wonderful visual experience.