Oktapodi (2008)

So much average

Good concept, poorly executed.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

in simple words, it is an animation who must see again and again. not for a precise reason. maybe for memories, streets of Greek small town, the right attitude about see fruits or for not ignore a special feeling. for humor and adventure and the great end. because it is a lovely film. maybe, almost amazing. and it is not a simple, easy, too subjective definition. but only the truth.

This also applies to the two sepiae in this very short Oscar-nominated French movie. In these 2.5 minutes, we see a couple of octopuses in love, but struggling to stay together when the female is taken out of the tank to be taken to a restaurant. Her partner immediately goes after the car in which she's transported and a wild chase ensues. His tenacity finally prevails and he manages to free his sweetheart as they're reunited on a washing line. It's a dangerous world though, as he quickly realizes and everything in the end points at a sequel which has not been made yet unfortunately.There's really nothing outstanding about this short film, especially not the animation, but its Oscar nomination proves that a cute little story executed with precision and charm can sometimes be enough for a film to reach accolades and recognition. The violin music fits nicely in with the overall tone of the film as well and I'd recommend this one, especially to animation enthusiasts like myself.

According to "L'Agence Du Court Métrage"-a professional organization which looks after everything related to short films in France, animated shorts have an average duration of 10 minutes. If one were to judge 'Oktapodi' from that yardstick, one would be able to conclude that for an animation film,2 minutes and 25 seconds is not at all an ideal run time as not much can be conveyed in such a short duration. This aspect has been taken as a challenge by a team of animation directors at 'Les Gobelins' which has made an impressive animation film about the efforts made by two Octopi to prevent their separation at the hands of a human being and a bird.They are so determined in their quest to live together that they use all means at their disposal to fight against their rivals. The result is revealed to viewers in the form of Oktapodi-a very short animation film which does not waste any time to convey its message. It does that by coming straight to the point. The action is really fast in 'Oktapodi' and it is aided by good animation.It is rather curious to know that this film does not limit itself to children-a major audience segment for animation films. Anybody who is interested in good cinema with a penchant for a good story can watch and enjoy it.

One commendable job done by the creators of Octapodi was to create two cute octopuses, which are otherwise one of the most hideous looking things on the planet. I've yet to see a movie with a 'cute' spider though. Anyway, Octapodi probably spent most of its budget designing the octopuses' movements, as the locations in the film look bare and lifeless. It's as is The White Witch from Chronicles of Narnia had turned those buildings into ice. Also, the actions were at breakneck speed, so one really gets no time to let all the action sink in. The plot is similar to the films mentioned above, but the villain here seemed absurd. At least Skinner had a valid reason to chase Remy. It really can be a gift or a curse to get an Academy Award nomination since it elevates expectations of the audience towards the film. Oktapodi is sweet but is still too green to get such a distinction.My Rating: 4 out of 10