That’s right sports fans! Top 7 Tuesdays is back. Originally a feature over at Paper Spaceships, we have given it a new home over here at cineAWESOME! This is the first of the Top 7 Tuesday and we decided (well I decided) to choose favorite animated films. Now like most of my top 7 lists these are just how I feel at the moment and are subject to change. If you are interested in any of the films the images are links to the Amazon pages of the items. As always feel free to disagree in the comments (keep it civil!) or let us know what kind of lists you, the readers, want to see us tackle!
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Mamoru Hosoda, 2006) is amazing. It is sweet and fun and beautiful to look at. Makoto is a wonderful character who grows up just enough in the story. Recently I got this on blu-ray and it was worth the wait. Hosoda is a director who is doing big things, and his recent Summer Wars (2009) was another hit with me. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time wins out by an inch for placement in this list just because I saw it first.
5 Centimeters Per Second (Makoto Shinkai, 2007) is a slow contemplative film. Made up of three short stories centering around characters named Takaki, the film explores issues of time, love and space. There is beauty here in the small moments that most of us ignore in our everyday lives. I cannot recommend this film enough. Shinkai’s work is consistently interesting and gets better with each project.
The Illusionist (Sylvain Chomet, 2010) is based off of an unproduced script by Jacques Tati and is a story told largely without sound. The only dialogue is unintelligible. However it is a strong story about the father-daughter relationship shared with an aging magician and a young girl desperate for the world. When I saw this I had recently lost my grandfather, and this film really affected me. The hand drawn animation is beautiful and a breath of fresh air.
Waltz With Bashir (Ari Folman, 2008) is unlike the other films in my list as it is really a documentary. An animated documentary about the horrors of war and memory. Controversial, harrowing, and haunting the film is a must see for people interested in what animation can do when set free in other forms of narrative. The atrocity at the center of this is heartbreaking, and a far better article than I could write on this very film can be found here written by Hillel Halkin.
Tekkonkinkreet (Michael Arias, 2006) is a story about two orphans (named Black and White) who terrorize Treasure Town but then try to save it from yakuza who wish to turn it into an amusement park. It is as weird and wonderful as that sounds.
How To Train Your Dragon (Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois 2010) was my favorite film of last year. I loved everything about this film. See my review over at Paper Spaceships. This movie had heart in spades, an amazing voice cast, and a great score. If you have a blu-ray player you need this film.
The Iron Giant (Brad Bird, 1999) is one of my favorite films of all time. I once worked at Animation Magazine for a brief internship and one of my assignments was to compile a list of the animation industry’s favorite movies. This won hands down. Yes I made it through a whole list without mentioning Pixar but Bird has made my favorite Pixar movies too. However there is something about the retro design to this film, and the connection I have to Hogarth, the sci-fi loving nerdy kid, is strong. It is about dreams and fear and growing up and about the point in a boys life where everything around you is larger than you could imagine and you are almost able to understand. Most of all it is about friendship. If you haven’t seen this film yet, stop reading this blog go find a copy and watch it. You owe it to yourself.
Very solid list! I’ve actually seen all of these so I feel pretty hip! I agree with most- love The Iron Giant, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Tekkonkinkreet, and anything Shinkai- though I must admit I like the ideas behind Waltz With Bashir more than the actual visual effect. I just don’t think the Flash style looks good enough for a feature film. And The Illusionist, while sweet and beautifully animated, lost me with the poorly written girl character, who was kind of awful. I would pick Chomet’s Triplets of Belleville over it in a heartbeat.
Are you a fan of stop-motion? When I make animation lists I always have to include some since it’s my favorite animation style! Jan Svankmajer’s Alice (Neco z Alenky), The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline- all really gorgeous to watch. And have you seen Sita Sings the Blues? Also excellent, featuring a range of experimental art styles. And The Adventures of Prince Achmed is an interesting one- the oldest surviving animated full-length feature, it uses silhouette animation with paper cut-outs. (Plus it’s directed by a lady, which seems a rarity in animation.)
Blergh I ramble when animation is the topic, sorry!
Rambling is good! I am a fan of stop motion and several almost made my list. I also love love love Sita Sings the Blues for so many reasons. I do love Triplets, but The Illusionist I saw right after my grandfather passed away and I think that made me like the film more.
I agree with you about Waltz With Bashir too. Have you seen The Book of the Dead by the late Kihachiro Kawamoto? We covered it on VCinema Episode Ep. 15 (here) brilliant stop motion.
Why have I only seen two of those?? I’m so ashamed. I do really want to see the Illusionist though, especially since I loved Triplets so much. And I know Tekkonkinkreet is in my house, awaiting my viewership.
Iron Giant is amazing though and Dragon was suuuper cute.
You need to see Tekkonkinkreet! As well as 5cm Per Second! I will let you borrow Girl Who Leapt Through Time
“You are who you choose to be.”
“Superman.”
Makes me cry like a baby every time.
Me too. Me too. The first time I saw this was with my younger cousins and they were like “its okay Rufus he comes back!”
On my past few viewings, the tears start a little earlier when the Giant says, “I go, you stay. No following.” And then Hogarth says “I love you.” Oh man. I seriously can’t watch this with other people around lest I completely embarrass myself.
Super solid list! I expect Redline to jockey for a position on all our lists whenever it gets a proper release.
Indeed.
One of my great List of Shame entries is THE IRON GIANT – one day I really must find the time to watch this one as I never hear anything but the very best comments about it. Surprised to see a complete lack of Ghibli here, but I guess it’s important to broaden the net a little and highlight some other cool movies. Of the 4 of these that I have seen, I had big issues with THE ILLUSIONIST and TEKKONKINKREET was a bit of a headscratcher, but WALTZ WITH BASHIR and HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON are both fantastic. Will endeavour to see THE GIRL… and 5 SECONDS… as well as IRON GIANT as soon as I can. Thanks for reminding my lazy ass!
Yeah I love Ghibli but these are the ones I’m currently feeling. Tekkonkinkreet did not make much sense but I dug the style of the animation. Also The Illusionist just hit me right when I watched it, although I have a feeling if I rewatch it, the list may change.
You need to see The Iron Giant…. now.