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Renaissance
Directed by: Christian Volckman Starring (English vocal cast): Daniel Craig, Catherine McCormack, Ian Holm, Jonathan Pryce Synopsis: Paris, 2054 - a young scientist is abducted by persons unknown, and people last seen with her are being killed. Captain Karas (Craig) believes the scientist's elder sister is the best lead to finding her, but there are other interested parties seeking her too... Review: Simply put, this is one of the most stylish, artistic movies I've seen in years. Whereas Hero was beautiful to look at but boring to watch, this balances its aesthetic stark beauty with an engrossing, adrenaline-fuelled story. Borrowing liberally from Akira, Ghost in the Shell and loads of Philip K Dick, the straight-forward gumshoe storyline is laced with loads of ideas such as identity theft, Big Brother total surveillance, and the meaning of mortality.
The effect of the stark black and white animation, a mix of rotoscoping and cg-assisted, lies somewhere between Sin City and A Scanner Darkly. It allows for some incredibly striking images and lets the director take on some camera moves that would be next to impossible otherwise. A good example of this is during an exhilarating carchase. You'll know what I mean when you see it. The camera moves throughout the movie had a fluidity that matches the best that Japanese anime has to offer. As I mentioned, the basic plot is straightforward, although there are a lot of diversions and kinks in the road to get to the conclusion, which is a mix of bitter-sweet with a touch of bleakness. It is however an intelligent story with a lot of characters and motives to keep track of. The voice cast are mostly good, if not quite excellent - there are times when characters laugh maniacally, and it sounds pretty forced. Daniel Craig has proven his action chops as Bond, so fits the character of Karas very well. I have yet to hear the French cast.
If I had one criticism, it is that the movie is at 1hr 42 mins a little over long and some scenes could have been trimmed in my opinion. But I think that is a small niggle for an otherwise outstanding, striking euro-anime. Verdict: The black & white style isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but this is definitely worth looking out for. 7 out of 10 (Review by MikeOutWest)
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