”A dog can be a bite.” Review of ”Isle of Dogs”
As you know, you cannot spend on craftsmanship, and you won’t fade the inimitable author's handwriting. The owner of one of the most unmistakable styles in modern cinema, Wes Anderson could hardly have known the joy of anonymous creativity, even radically changing his direction of activity and switching, for example, to the production of sanitary ware. What can we say about the second leap in his career from fiction to animation, which recorded the change in the director's toolkit and mood color, but not in the approach - thorough, caring and, most importantly, manual. A kind of master felting exclusive toys in the world of Hasbro, Lego and Mattel. The reach is noticeably less than that of the giant competitors, but the audience is more loyal.Mayor Kobayashi, who heads the Japanese city of Megasaki, finds a new perceived internal threat in the face of dogs to divert the eyes of the population from his corrupt activities. The mayor signs a decree according to which all the barking creatures must be sent to a special garbage island. And a massive sweep begins from Spotts - a faithful dog guarding the mayor's 12-year-old nephew. Little amber-faced Atari decides not to put up with the disappearance of his four-legged friend and goes on a makeshift plane to save him. On the island, the boy meets a flock of pets, not long ago, led by the purebred mongrel Chef, and together they set out to find Spotts.  The main beauty of "Isle of Dogs" is the breadth of possible interpretations. Everyone finds and analyzes the ideas inherent in the cartoon, to the best of their observation and insight. If you slightly scratch the semantic surface, then the viewer will see a poignant story about the friendship of a boy and his beloved dog. Removing the next layer - and now we see a disturbing picture of our ecological future. Want to dig even deeper? Then get an allegory for the fight against unwanted authorities, often not dangerous political opponents. And don't let all the touching freckles on the face of the protesting exchange student, the detailed hairs in the dog's hair, and the lovely cotton wool clouds that envelop every scuffle scene fool you: this time Wes Anderson challenges the public to a serious conversation. So do not expect a "marzipan" mood based on the results of watching. Instead, a bitter residue and a rethinking of views on the usual course of things will come. At the same time, what is important, the director does not slip into moralizing and refrains from mentoring intonation.  Putting aside a deep box of meanings, we must admit that in terms of narration in general and amusing plot twists in particular, Isle of Dogs does not set new heights for Anderson and his loyal comrades Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman. Many moves are read in advance, while others, with their spontaneity and naivety, knock on the door of Indian cinema. With the elaboration of the characters, especially the four-legged ones, it also did not quite work out: a flock in a flock, but at least some distinctive features of the outcast dogs should have been. After all, the Moon Kingdom scouts had those. And so, with the exception of Chief and Spots, the matter was limited to meager questionnaire submissions. However, even in the absence of the proper depths of character in sympathy for these dogs, it is impossible not to dissolve, it is enough to meet your eyes only once. And in general, it is impossible to find fault with everything that concerns the picture. Each frame is detailed and measured as if by a ruler. Any freeze frame - and temporary art so organically turns into spatial art that at least substitute a frame. As the hit Radiohead says, "Everything in it's right place". In this regard, Anderson the visionary, of course, put Anderson the narrator on his shoulder blades. From the sidelines, the friendly and, naturally, bloodless sparring was watched by Anderson the humanist, acting outside the competitive field. And he again brilliantly coped with his mission, gently turning our heads towards problems that we did not notice or did not want to notice before.  There is an expression that from each trip you return home a different person. The work of Wes Anderson, always a fascinating and instructive film journey, seems equally applicable. So for sure many viewers after watching "The Island of Dogs" will have a desire, if not to shelter the mongrel, then at least to cook her a treat. The Topic of Article: ”A dog can be a bite.” Review of ”Isle of Dogs”. |
