The Young And Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2013) ***1/2
When it comes to "heartwarming" movies, there has to be something within that separates them from the endless vanilla releases that always seem to be around for me to be interested. And Jean-Pierre Jeunet's visual stylings are just that thing.
While The Young And Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2013) is decidedly the "lightest" film that the director has made (every other one of his films is rated R), there is still some darkness throughout to keep it from being straight up family fare. It marks only the second time that Jeunet has adapted a book and the third time that he did not write a story himself (though he did write the screenplay). Sure, it could be labeled as "quirky" (like much of his work), particularly with Helena Bonham Carter as part of the cast, but there is something unmistakably recognizable and inviting about Jeunet's work, if you're a fan (the same could be said of Wes Anderson), even in a more "straightforward" film such as this.
Those familiar hyperreal golden and green hues that Jeunet so favors work well in T.S. Spivet to help bring the story's rich characters and gorgeous Montana landscapes to life (though it was actually filmed in Canada). This is a road movie, family drama, and comedic adventure all rolled into one. It's not a laugh out loud experience—more like comfort food, with just enough edge to avoid the saccharine. There is a timelessness to the story that keeps it fresh, even on a rewatch (which this was for me), and Kyle Catlett does a commendable job of anchoring the film with an undeniable and unwitting charm.
Recommended for fans of Amélie (2001) (review), Hugo (2011) (review), and Moonrise Kingdom (2012).
You can find my Jean-Pierre Jeunet Feature Films Ranked list here.
While The Young And Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2013) is decidedly the "lightest" film that the director has made (every other one of his films is rated R), there is still some darkness throughout to keep it from being straight up family fare. It marks only the second time that Jeunet has adapted a book and the third time that he did not write a story himself (though he did write the screenplay). Sure, it could be labeled as "quirky" (like much of his work), particularly with Helena Bonham Carter as part of the cast, but there is something unmistakably recognizable and inviting about Jeunet's work, if you're a fan (the same could be said of Wes Anderson), even in a more "straightforward" film such as this.
Those familiar hyperreal golden and green hues that Jeunet so favors work well in T.S. Spivet to help bring the story's rich characters and gorgeous Montana landscapes to life (though it was actually filmed in Canada). This is a road movie, family drama, and comedic adventure all rolled into one. It's not a laugh out loud experience—more like comfort food, with just enough edge to avoid the saccharine. There is a timelessness to the story that keeps it fresh, even on a rewatch (which this was for me), and Kyle Catlett does a commendable job of anchoring the film with an undeniable and unwitting charm.
Recommended for fans of Amélie (2001) (review), Hugo (2011) (review), and Moonrise Kingdom (2012).
You can find my Jean-Pierre Jeunet Feature Films Ranked list here.
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