The story might be a bit thin, and not very original, but it’s a solid one and does its job of keeping the film together. The theme is simple but comes with a twist that adds a bit of depth at the end to make it more a little worthwhile.
Now, what really makes Renaissance stand out is the visuals. Its graphic novel style is brilliantly executed. I think it’s as close to bringing the black ink style alive as anyone has come. There’s a minimal use of grays for lighting effects, but otherwise the appearance is very graphic. The result is very vivid, so much that I first thought the characters were live actors animated with some sort of rotoscoping technique, but it appears they are digitally created, with motion capture recorded movements. Even facial expressions work well, and that’s something that often makes the illusion fail. In short, it’s a film that would be worth seeing only for the style. If I get an opportunity to see it in a theater, I would gladly pay the admission just to see how it works that way.
While it was animated for English voices, I was recommended to watch the French version with English subs, and it worked well. Maybe because it is set in Paris, but maybe there’s something else to seeing animation in a language you don’t understand. I’ll watch the English version later.
Anyway, I enjoyed it. If I should rate it, I’d say its an 8/10. There are aspects that aren’t perfect, but the overall experience is great. Maybe it isn’t something for anyone, but that’s true for all films.
It’s not really a bug, but it’s bugging me. A bit. Not a large matter, but still annoying. The common order of the arithmetic operations, that is. Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They are probably ordered by how often you need to perform them, but my annoyance is that that particular order isn’t the same when you need electronic assistance for your calculations. At least not for me, since I’m able to to most everyday addition and subtraction in my head. What I may need help with is things like how many Kronor the amount of €237 equals at an exchange rate of 9.389. It’s not a big problem when using a real calculator, but the device I most often use when I’m not at a computer is my phone. In its calculator function, the * is used for choosing the operator, and it means I have to press at least two times to get to the functions I need. A total waste of time. I’ve must have lost precious minutes of my life doing that. Someone shoult fix it.
And I guess the issue of wasted time applies to this post as well. I think I’m writing mostly to occupy myself with something. I’ve got a bit of insomnia, and a case of butterflies in my stomach. The art school thing begins tomorrow, so I guess I’m allowed a bit of nervousness. And it’s the good kind, since I’m certain it’s going to be great.
Occasionally, there’s a commercial spot so good that you don’t mind having your show interrupted even if you don’t need to go to the bathroom or refill your coffee. I think Saab’s latest is one of those. Great “spot the Scandinavian design icons” concept, and wonderful music in the form of Nina Kinert’s “Through Your Eyes”.
Though I have to say the Swedish captions were a bit better, along the lines of “Form is nothing without function” (a bit simpler than the international version)Â and “Introducing a new design movement”.
I watched Renaissance last night, which for those who don’t know it is an animation feature co-produced by British, French and Luxembourgian interests. Set in Paris in the year 2054, it plays as a sci-fi noir thriller about a jaded police captain, Barthélémy Karas (viced by Daniel Craig in the English version), on a mission to find the kidnapped Ilona Tasuiev, a researcher for the ubiquitous health and beauty corporation Avalon. With the aid of Ilona’s sister Bislane, he gets further into a mystery with roots reaching back to 2006.
Anyway, I enjoyed it. If I should rate it, I’d say its an 8/10. There are aspects that aren’t perfect, but the overall experience is great. Maybe it isn’t something for anyone, but that’s true for all films.
