MovieChat Forums > It's Such a Beautiful Day (2016) Discussion > The animation

The animation

posted 9 years ago by tapper101
4 replies | jump to latest

This is one of those films where the animation is so poorly made and distracting (psychedelic at times - on purpose of course) that it ruins the whole experience for me. It distracts me from the message the creator wants to convey and it made it really hard for me to get through it. I had to really push myself to see the whole thing. I like the message, it's beautiful and important. But the execution is so poor and sloppy.

I'm fine with the narration and the beautiful classical music, but imagine if Don chose a different kind of animation. I sort of like the fusion of real life footage and his doodles at the end of the film and I feel like he could easily have used that throughout the film (though less vibrant and colourful during Bills time of hardship and dispair, first half of the movie). Though a more refined, classic animation would be even better.

In a way it sort of reminds me of the animation in Waking Life (2001), where the animation is so wobbly/shaking and distracting that it makes it a really tough film to watch. It's so hard on the eyes and I found myself often looking away to just listen. Still a good movie though.

Wouldn't want to see either film if I had epilepsy.

[–] dieBartdie 9 years ago

I like how personal it is. Don hand-draws every frame (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EBdEoZUH7o) and you can see that, imperfections included. If it wasn't so monumentally insane and consequent, it wouldn't work for me... but it kinda is. Waking Life's animation, in comparison, is lazy. It's mostly just rotoscoped and done with a computer shader, pointless decoration. This movie's animation, however, is authentic.

Sure a Miyazaki movie or something like The Triplets of Belleville is easier to just soak in and enjoy, but the roughness of Don's style really creates this "feel", like watching someone's hastily scribbled diary come to live. On top of that, it's superbly timed, this is actually not bad animation once you accept the lack of detail and precision that comes from the approach. There's detail, there. Care.

[–] segaltoons 9 years ago

Yes. I think Don's style works well in his short funny films, but in this its a chore to watch the whole thing.

[–] MoviemanCin 8 years ago

My opinion is just the opposite. I think the crude animation helped to focus me more on the message and less on the images. This is an amazing, profound and moving film. I give it an A+.

But then that's why they make chocolate and vanilla.

Schrodinger's cat walks into a bar, and / or doesn't.

[–] Rad_Robot_V 8 years ago

There's a part of the film where Bill claims he can't distinguish between people's faces and can only point out his ex-girlfriend because of her long hair.

Hertzfeldt was taking a jab at his own style. It was pretty funny.