The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by David Fincher, USA 2009. Live-action
The new and most eagerly awaited film by David Fincher, the unforgotten author of Seven and Zodiac, is grappling with his most ambitious work. The movie, with Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Julia Ormond, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas and Tilda Swinton, tells this extremely original story thanks to understated digital technologies that can make this extraordinary event look credible. Adapted from the Twenties F.S. Fitzgerald’s book, the film shows one man’s life going on reverse, people and places that he discovers on his journey, the love that he finds and loses, what remains beyond time, from 1918 New Orleans until XXI Century.
Appleseed: Ex Machina by Shinji Aramaki, Japan 2007, Animation
Following a war that killed half the world’s population, the city Olympus stands as a beacon of hope in a world of chaos. Deunan and her lover Briareos, a cyborg-soldier, are members of the elite special forces serving Olympus. The two fighters find their partnership tested by the arrival of a new member to their ranks – an experimental Bioroid named Tereus. At the same time, Olympus finds itself under a stealth attack by a mysterious cabal of scientists.
Genius Party, Japan 2007, Animation
Genius Party by Atsuko Fukushima; Shanghai Dragon by Shoji Kawamori; Deathtic 4 by Shinji Kimura; Doorbell by Yoji Fukuyama; Limit Cycle by Hideki Futamura; Happy Machine by Masaaki Yuasa; Baby Blue by Shinichiro Watanabe
After TekkonKinkreet, best animated film at the 31st Japan Academy Prize and at the 10th Future Film Festival, Studio 4°C has undertaken important new challenges launching the Genius Party project, which gathers together great names from Japanese animation. From their collaboration emerged this original party movie.
Genius Party Beyond, Japan 2008, Animation
Gala by Mahiro Maeda; Moondrive by Kazuto Nakazawa; Wanwa the Doggy by Shinya Ohira; Tôjin Kit by Tatsuyuki Tanaka; Dimension Bomb by Koji Morimoto
Studio 4°C and its staff are famous for the creative originality demonstrated with TekkonKinkreet, Mind Game and Animatrix. With Genius Party (2007) they produced am ambitious project with the aim of “giving freedom to the images”. They invited young, talented directors to work together on a film with only one rule: “without limits”. In 2008 the second part finally arrived, Genius Party Beyond.
Mocland – La leyenda del áloma by Juan Manuel Suárez, Spain 2008, Animation
Planet Moc and its inhabitants are in danger. Their vital energy, Limbar, is disappearing. Dreadful General Neflin has stolen it. Determined to bring back peace to her Planet, Queen Pola will send an expedition in search of Aloma, a mineral, according to the Ancient Legend, capable of generating the stolen energy.
One Piece The Movie: Episode of Chopper by Junji Shimizu, Japan 2008, Animation
Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by his childhood hero « Red Haired » shanks. But when he accidentally ate the cursed gum gum fruit, he gained the power to stretch like rubber. At the cost of never being able to swim again. Luffy sets out on the sea with a dream of becoming king of pirates, and to find the greatest pirate treasure of all, the legendary «One Piece ». During his journey with his crew, he decides to stop at an island to look for a cure for Nami, his navigator. At this point, he meets with Chopper, a strange reindeer with a blue nose.
Pussy Soup – Neko Ramen by Minoru Kawasaki, Japan 2008, Live-action
Taishou’s father is a super-model cat, and everybody believes Taishou will be a super-model as well. His family has great expectations over him, because he is the eldest son, but he can’t bear all the pressure and runs away from home. Unfortunately, he has no clue how to survive on his own, having always been fed and pampered as a model cat. Taishou passes from a job to another, homeless, until he finds his place in a noodle shop, where he will became a successful cook.
SOS! Tokyo Metro Explorers: The Next by Shinji Takagi, Japan 2007, Animation
Summer, 2006. 5th grader Ryuhei discovers a notebook entitled Tokyo Exploring Records. It was a journal kept by his father, Shohei, when he was around Ryuhei’s age. Ryuhei forms his own exploration party with his friends Shun and Yoshio. One summer’s day, the party and Ryuhei’s younger brother Sasuke, who happens to tag along, heads to the dungeon looking for a treasure indicated on their father’s map. Soon they encounter some weird but good-natured grown-ups who live underground. The kids are welcomed by the underground residents; but then the dungeon turns into a combat zone involving an old, selfclaimed Japanese soldier… Will the kids be able to discover the real treasure hidden underground?
The Tale of Despereaux by Sam Feel and Robert Stevenhagen, UK – USA 2008, Animation
Once upon a time, in the faraway kingdom of Dor, there was magic in the air. But after a dreadful accident all hope was lost in this land, until Despereaux was born. In spite of being a mouse, he befriends Princess Pea and learns to read books. Despereaux is banished from Mouseworld for being more man than mouse but, when Pea is kidnapped, Despereaux discovers he is the only one who can rescue her and that even the tiniest mouse can find the courage of a knight in shining armour.
A tale of two Mozzies by Jannik Hastrup and Flemming Quist Møller, Denmark 2007, Animation
Dagmar the dancing mosquito is mad about dancing and has the hots for Egon. He, however, thinks about nothing other than reaching top speed on his bike and seeing the world. When wicked red ant queen Dominella and her soldiers kill the black ant queen and take over her colony, our heroes are drawn into an exciting forest floor drama that puts their friendship to the test and forces them to take full advantage of their talents.
Tous à l’ouest. Une aventure de Lucky Luke by Jean-Marie Olivier, France 2007, Animation
Lucky Luke, living legend of the Wild West, escorts the notorious Dalton brothers to New York, to stand trial. For the millionth time they escare. With the cops hot on their heels, the nefarious brothers stash their loot, but when they return for their spoils there is an unpleasant surprise awaiting them: dozens of identical wagons, all headed for California. So the Daltons set out, under the lonesome cowboy’s watchful eye, towards a wild, wild West and a world of hilarious new adventures.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans by Patrick Tatopoulos, USA 2009, Live-action
In the preceding film, Underworld: Evolution, the origins of the centuries long feud between the aristocratic vampires known as Agents of Death and their ancient slaves, the Lycans, is outlined. In the Dark Years, a young Lycan called Lucian becomes a powerful leader and gathers together the werewolves to revolt against Viktor, the cruel vampire king who has forced them into slavery. Lucian is helped by his secret lover, Sonja, in the battle against the army of the Agents of Death and in the struggle for the Lycans’ freedom.
Angel on the Run (Tentative) by Yoshinobu Yamakawa, Japan 2008, Animation
Angel on the Run, based on Shinichi Hiromoto’s manga, tells the story of Rinne, a girl who, after being run over by a truck on her way to high-school, finds herself lost in a strange personal hell: a school full of strange students (Ryu Kuto, Students society president, Kiki the witch, Fantoma she-devil, Wulfy the werewolf and Stila a rag robot) under an evil head teacher, who looks like a grotesque Elvis.
