my dog tulip (paul fierlinger, sandra fierlinger)

this is one of the sweetest and most honest films i've ever seen. i loved the sincerity and bluntness of the scatology, told in such a matter-of-fact way, simply beautiful. their relationship is just so warm and caring and deep. even though i'm not a big fan of the 'hand-drawn' style, it really works here, especially the sketchy backgrounds, and the schematic drawings on notebook paper. the story itself is so simple and told with so much love. my favourite bits were the poetic antropomorphic drawings, like when the dog delivered her litter, illustrated with the dressed-up dog delivering a parcel, taking out the puppy and eating the ribbon and wrapping paper... simply genius. i just couldn't help smiling for almost the whole duration of the film. i'll definitely watch this again.

Rating: 8.5/10

waltz with bashir (ari folman)

even though i've never been a big fan of war movies (with the exception of kubrick's 'paths of glory'), i have to admit that this documentary really worked for me. the visual side is really beautiful, all the different animation techiniques work really work together and they fit the narration perfectly. and then, of course, there's the story, a man's 'journey' (i hate that word) of self-descovery trying to find out what his mind is blocking. really powerful. and the last scene creates a rush of emotion that runs through the viewer's body, everything becomes even more real.

Rating: 8/10

how to train your dragon (dean deblois, chris sanders)

maybe i just wasn't in the mood for it, but i wasn't impressed at all. there were several things that really annoyed me: i found the dragons incredibly cheesy ('toothless' was better, but still...); i couldn't understand why the adult vikings spoke with a scottish accent and the children had an american one; and, the worst bit, kids speak like adults, and I HATE THAT. oh, and the emo girl character was appalling. still, as a whole it's ok, but very far from amazing. nonetheless, i have to admit i couldn't help but feeling rather emotional after the final fight scene.

Rating: 5.5/10

ponyo (hayao miyazaki)

i will never forgive myself for not having seen this on the big screen, the underwater landscapes are some of the most beautiful scenes i've ever seen. full of jellyfish! and the story is good, too, of course. miyazaki hardly ever disappoints. by the way, the reviewers who say that this is the story of a goldfish princess and her quest to become human haven't really been paying attention or have been watching too many disney movies. it's not a choice. she licked human blood and now she's turning into a human. she's quite happy to do it, and doesn't want her dad to try and stop it (maybe because she's already too human), but that's not the point. just don't turn this into the little mermaid. anyway, this is so beautiful to watch that this hardly matters. or the fact that ponyo is rather irritating as a little girl (i much preferred her as a fish). but yes, i really hope i get to see this sometime in the cinema.

Rating: 8/10

the secret of kells (tom moore)

to be honest, i thought it was going to be a bit too hippie for me. however, i was proved wrong. yes, the actual last 30 secs of the film, when they show you the real book of kells, is horrible, both the images and the horrendous folk music, but i found i actually really enjoyed the rest of the film. i loved the animation, especially the 2d layered scenes, and all the geometrical design work, as well as the shadow play. just mesmerising. and the story itself is a fantastic classic adventure. with books. great! i found the white fairy girl rather irritating at the beginning, but i then i kind of got used to her (only kind of). but, all in all, a joy to watch.

Rating: 7/10