Strange Frame: Love & Sax (2013)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Simply A Masterpiece

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Looking for something more artistic, interesting, and unique? This film's focus on an alternate universe where a black lesbian can be the star of a film got me interested in checking out other science fiction The drama is compelling, the animation is original and creative, the music is wonderful, and the voices will draw you in. As others have noticed, it's got quite the stellar cast of voices! If you're looking for your normal high-budget action/adventure film with automatic graphics and white male heroes, don't worry, I'm sure there's a film or two around where you're still the lead. If you want a lively and innovative science fiction/fantasy film, try this one on for a change!

Years ago I used to occasionally read a sci-fi comics magazine called Heavy Metal, which for all I know still exists. It was full of perplexing, often pointless narratives told somewhat incoherently, and was notable mainly for its weird art and fondness for sexy girls.Strange Frame reminds me of that. True, the sexy girls are seen from a lesbian view rather than the straight guy view of most of Heavy Metal, but sexy girls are sexy girls.Besides Heavy Metal, the movie reminds me of East Village indie magazines from the 80s and fan fiction. For me, the movie felt amateurish and slack. The animation did nothing for me. But it reminds me of other things people like that I don't like, so if you like East Village underground art, Heavy Metal, or bad fan fiction, you might love this. I did not.

A beautifully animated dreamlike adventure pulsating with sensuality and rock and roll. An instant cult classic in the spirit of 'Fantastic Planet' (La Planete Sauvage), 'Heavy Metal' with underpinnings of 'Fritz the Cat' and 'Blade Runner'. The character voices are interesting with Tim Curry and Claudia Black standing out. The music is reminiscent of the girl rock sound of the early seventies. Think 'Beyond the Valley of the Dolls' meets 'Heart'. The story is complex enough to stay interesting without losing anyone. But, the cut-out style of the animation shows just how creative the animators were to elevate this type of video game style imagery to special heights. Try to see this film in as large a format as you can. It's quite impressive on a extra big TV or at the theater.

I got a chance to see Strange Frame at the Waterloo Festival for Animated Cinema (www.wfac.ca). It's a visionary forerunner of what promises to be a new era of animated features being produced and directed by auteur filmmakers. Through clever use of resources and locally trained Hawaiian talent G.B. Hajim was able to produce, craft, and complete a unique story that never would have made it to movie theatres or television screens even five years ago. Aside from being ground breaking though... there are gorgeous visuals and the voice talent is second to none. The story also has some sweet subversive twists, but it's also designed to be enjoyable - which is a relief from all the weighty animated features being produced for adults in the West. Don't get me wrong, I love those weighty animated features, it's just nice to see a fresh story, style, and approach being produced for an adult audience. Here's hoping we see more from G.B. Hajim and his team. Also, If you get a chance, I highly recommend you watch this film on the big screen with a proper surround sound setup. Because.... Gary Rizzo worked on the audio mix. You might remember him from his work such small films as... Titanic, Tron: Legacy, The Dark Knight Rises... and so on ;)