by Luanne King

Battle for Terra

Canadian Aristomenis Tsirbas directed this intriguing computer-animated film. In 2003, Tsirbas wrote and directed a 7-minute animated short, Terra, depicting a universe 300 years in the future. Tsirbas and partner Dane Allan Smith won festival awards for the short, and soon an entertainment company decided to produce a full-length feature based on it.

Tsirbas had the idea for this dramatic story several years before the short film was created. In an interview with Pat Ferarra on Mania.com, Tsirbas said, “I thought how interesting it would be if you could give the aliens as much of a character and as much sympathy and complexity as we do for the humans.” Tsirbas wrote the story from the aliens’ point of view and made humans the invaders. Well-known actors wanted to be character voices. That helped fund the production.

When I sat in a huge theater with 3-D glasses on, it was enchanting to watch Terrians of all shapes and sizes playfully soaring above clouds over their planet. When a close-up revealed a young Terrian named Mala (Evan Rachel Wood) studying a spaceship careening toward them from another part of the universe, I shared her fear. Planet Terra was ruled by Elders who had to decide if the approaching beings were gods or enemies. They procrastinated and were captured by the human invaders. Mala’s father became a prisoner! But spirited Mala fought back, tricking one of the human spacecrafts into self-destructing, and then rescuing the pilot, Jim Stanton (Luke Wilson). Stanton wanted to repay Mala for saving him, and took her to her imprisoned father. This was the start of interracial communication to prevent further fighting.

I thought the animated characters were well-drawn, but the Terrian relationships with each other and with the human Earthforce invaders could have been more fully developed. I hope there will be a sequel with less shooting and more dialogue.

Rated PG. 85 minutes.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

The long battle raging between France and Algerian rebels trying to achieve their independence changed forever the lives of a young French couple planning to marry. Geneviève (Catherine Deneuve) is only 17 and lives with her widowed mother. Guy (Nino Castelnuovo) is an auto mechanic. When Guy receives orders from the French Army to serve in Algeria for two years, the couple is devastated. They conceive a child before Guy leaves. As he departs, they sing the famous love song “I Will Wait for You.” A few letters come to Geneviève from Guy, then stop. The umbrella shop Geneviève’s mother owns is debt-ridden. A wealthy man falls for Geneviève and wants to marry her.

Although I usually don’t appreciate movie musicals, I loved this film. It was beautifully acted, the music rang true and even the vocalized dialogue seemed right. The romantic story was very believable; the main characters end up with different partners than those they originally loved. We feel the characters have become wiser and we have experienced a masterpiece.

French with English subtitles. 92 minutes. Newly restored on DVD; film originally released in 1964.