"Long Way North"** 1\2 (out of ****)
[Note: This review was originally published in the weekly newspaper, Chicago News in the December 16 - 22, 2016 edition.]
There is great artistry in hand-drawn animation that unfortunately American movie goers have been deprived of as the majority of today's animated movies are done with CGI. Animation fans will enjoy the traditional style on display in the French movie, "Long Way North" (2016).
As has been the trend for the past few years, traditional animated movies are being made outside the U.S., including "Song of the Sea" (2014), "Chico & Rita" (2010), "Phantom Boy" (2016) and any number of movies from the great Japanese animator, Hayao Miyazaki - "Spirited Away" (2002) and "Howl's Moving Castle" (2004). But the French have an impressive track record as well and "Long Way North" looks just as good as their best. Unfortunately, the movie is not a complete success.
It is 1882 and we are in St. Petersburg, Russia. Our hero is a young 15-year-old aristocrat named Sasha (voiced in the English dub by Chloe Dunn) who idolizes her grandfather (Geoffrey Greenhill), a great explorer, who went out on an expedition to the North Pole to conquer it for his homeland and never returned. The incident has placed a scar on the family's reputation. With the same zest and determination found in one of Miyazaki's heroines, Sasha believes she has found the answer to the whereabouts of her grandfather and the course he charted. Now all she has to do is find someone willing to travel to the North Pole with her.
If the only animation you have seen was by Pixar and Dreamworks, "Long Way North" will seem rather plain and simple to you. The story deals exclusively with human characters. There are no talking animals. No songs sung. No pop culture references. No sexual innuendos or subtle adult humor. The dialogue is basic and direct (which may also be due to this version being dubbed in English), as are the character's motivations.
"Long Way North" is cliché and predictable - privileged young woman learns the value of hard work and important life lessons in the process. A young smart-alec male will be challenged by the natural elements and mature into a man, proving his masculinity. This contributes to a lack of three-dimensional characters and the best elements of Disney animation; precocious, loveable characters, enduring morals, heartfelt sentimentality and an ability to create humor that both adults and children will respond to.
However, the movie has its defenders, receiving much critical acclaim and was nominated in the best feature category at the Annecy International Film Festival. The director, Remi Chaye, making his directorial debut, previously worked on the animation for another French movie, "The Painting" (2011) and the French / Irish movie "The Secret of the Kells" (2009).
Still this nautical story never seems to set sail (forgive the pun) and is really split in two halves. The first half establishes Sasha and her personality, showing her to be a young girl filled with family pride, who deep down has a sense of adventure in her, while the second half focuses on the expedition through the North Pole and the harsh weather conditions. These scenes may prove to be too realistic for small children as characters fight over a shortage of food supplies and one character is in critical condition. At this point Sasha takes a back seat as the landscape and supporting characters become more prominent in the story, making Sasha no longer a driving force in the movie and more of a reactionary character.
"Long Way North" doesn't always go in the directions some audiences may expect it to and that may make it seem less than emotionally rewarding, leading one to question, who was this movie intended for? It is hard to imagine families taking pleasure watching this movie repeatedly, in the same way children enjoy "Frozen" (2013). In fact "Long Way North" may be the anti-"Frozen". You can see how the two movies could have blended together.
"Long Way North" is a somber, tender movie, but one that doesn't pack an emotional wallup. This tale of family pride and self-discovery doesn't always give audiences what they may expect even though it is a pleasure to look at.
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