How entertaining? ★★★★★
Thought provoking? ★★☆☆☆ 4 February 2016
A movie review of THE BOY AND THE BEAST.By Hemanth Kissoon
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YouTube review:
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“I hate cry babies,” Kumatetsu (Kôji Yakusho)
Has director Mamoru Hosoda inherited the animation crown from the now retired Hayao Miyazaki? Hosoda’s last four films have vast imagination, energetic vibrancy and a deep interest in emotional lives. Though, they are not quite in the same league of the Studio Ghibli maestro, who arguably only put one foot askew with HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE. Hosoda’s work is prone to melodrama, and would benefit from dialling back any hint of gloop – the only bum note of otherwise compelling fare. THE BOY AND THE BEAST is least reliant on sentiment. Arguably the director’s current pinnacle, this is his equivalent of THE JUNGLE BOOK.
Has director Mamoru Hosoda inherited the animation crown from the now retired Hayao Miyazaki? Hosoda’s last four films have vast imagination, energetic vibrancy and a deep interest in emotional lives. Though, they are not quite in the same league of the Studio Ghibli maestro, who arguably only put one foot askew with HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE. Hosoda’s work is prone to melodrama, and would benefit from dialling back any hint of gloop – the only bum note of otherwise compelling fare. THE BOY AND THE BEAST is least reliant on sentiment. Arguably the director’s current pinnacle, this is his equivalent of THE JUNGLE BOOK.
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Opening on a beautifully realised prologue, introducing a parallel world to our own: The city of Jutengai. Population 100,000, the citizens are sentient mammals walking upright. Their world is free from technology, remaining in a past before the industrial revolution. Lord of Jutengai, a wise and popular leader, is coming up to retirement, where he will reincarnate and ascend to heaven as a god. Before passing into the next life, the Lord wants to find a suitable successor. The choice has come down to two: The measured Iozan (Kazuhiro Yamaji), who already has two heirs, and the hothead Kumatetsu, without any. There is to be a combat contest to decide the new lord. Simplistic meritocracy for patriarch perhaps, but the most successful martial artist will be seen to derive their hegemony from outlook.
The beast conurbation is magical yet contentedly feudal it seems. Where are the female characters in this place? There is barely a speaking part. It is not like Hosoda’s oeuvre is chauvinistic – far from it, see THE GIRL WHO LEPT THROUGH TIME and WOLF CHILDREN – but it is a shame not to have some gender parity here.
Meanwhile, in Japan, Ren (Aoi Miyazaki) is a nine-year-old runaway. Mother (Kumiko Asô) has died, and divorced father (Keishi Nagatsuka) cannot be traced, and not wanting to stay with relatives, Ren wanders the streets. Seeing his mother in daydreams, shares the same idea in CHARLIE COUNTRYMAN and SPRING that your home is where a good mother is; your loved ones dead and alive are within you.
A chance encounter where Kumatetsu visits our world has the two meet. Shadowing the bear beast, Ren comes across a secret alleyway, equivalent of Platform 9 ¾ in HARRY POTTER, and Jutengai is discovered. HELLBOY 2’s Troll Market-esque vista greets Ren. You can guess what happens: Sharing a stubborn anti-authority frankness, Kumatetsu and Ren fractiously come together. The former renames the latter Kyuta. Winning pseudo-parental-filial bond arises, heightened by the lack of explicit articulation of their mutual love and respect.
Kyuta is at first not welcome in the city. Humans are regarded with distrust. The way animals are treated is the implied criticism. Weariness of human nature will come up later, showing the best and worst of us. The moral is made easy to swallow: An acknowledgement of the continual battle between light and darkness within each person.
Kyuta becomes Kumatetsu’s apprentice, the latter unique in he never had a master. Self-determination against the odds is an endearing theme. Building on the idea is the angst of being a worthwhile parent, especially when role model benchmark is absent. Jutengai’s Lord, who cares about Kumatetsu, tells him to take a tour of the other countries and learn lessons from their chiefs. Glimpses of stunning vistas make one want the runtime to be far longer, to soak up the imagery and atmosphere.
Jumping to Kyuta (Shôta Sometani) at 17, THE BOY AND THE BEAST reaches for the third act. A similarly aged human woman, Kaede (Suzu Hirose) met after repeated time spent crisscrossing domains, and father reconciliation, movingly enrich Kyuta, while breaking the heart of Kumatetsu. Of course, there must be a cathartic payoff, but the climax is unobvious.
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