A feature film in 2D animation might not sound hugely appealing, but Spanish film, Chico and Rita, is an inspiringly creative, gorgeous and desperately romantic animated CG film set in 1948. It follows the journey of a musical-talented Cuban couple. Young pianist Chico (Xor Oña) and soul singer Rita (Meneses) who’s character, along with her beautiful voice and curvaceous figure reminds us of an animated Rihanna, fall in love over a shared passion of the Latin ballad, embarking on a journey that brings both happiness and heartache.
Chico and Rita opens with an overwhelming hand drawn landscape of Cuba and is accompanied with a fiery Jazz soundtrack. Latin and Jazz plays a central role in Chico and Rita, capturing the true elegance and Latin feel and with such detailed animation, the film has a strong sense of authenticity which is beautiful to watch.
The film’s narrative is at times wearisome, as from the moment they meet, Chico and Rita are constantly on and off, exploring the cliché of not knowing what one has until it’s gone – frustrating for some, exciting for others. Nevertheless, their hopeless romance is enough to make you fall in love with the film yourself.
Touching on themes of racism, betrayal and sex (featuring animated nudity), Chico and Rita offers a lot more than your everyday Disney. Unsurprisingly praised by critics nation-wide, the film is a stylized animated musical that I would most definitely recommend, especially for all of the hopeless romantics out there.
No comments:
Post a Comment