THE SECRET OF KELLS (2009)

Irish animator Tomm Moore had a great idea when he used the distinctive style of medieval illuminated manuscripts, especially the famous Book of Kells, as design elements on this debut feature with co-animator Nora Twomey.  Less great was his idea to base his story on the creation of such a book.  The approach works best when Moore gives us overviews of landscapes (verdant forests alive with rich fauna & angular threatening wolves in slashes of black & red) or architecture (walled fortresses alive with scaffolds, chapels & warworks).  But his story is only moderately involving, and peopled with assorted men who never venture beyond a bold initial character stroke.  Choosing such an abstract drawing style removes the subtleties of facial modeling and makes for a cast of puppets; great for massed movement but dead on close-ups.  You’ll see why the critics were cheered by the film's hand-drawn artisanal grit, such a relief from their regular diet of Pop-referenced, wise-ass 3-D CGI product. But you’ll also see why the film barely grossed half a mill.  Kids don’t grade on effort.

DOUBLE-BILL:  (Make that a putative Double-Bill.)  R. O. Blechman’s picture book, THE JUGGLER OF OUR LADY/’58 (from the famous & touching fable by Anatole France), was beautifully caught on-screen in his distinctive ‘buzzy’ style.  Alas, the gorgeous WideScreen one-reel original is little known, displaced by a tv friendly Pan-and-Scan diminishment.