Riddle of Fire

First thing - I know I would have LOVED this movie as a kid. It has children with strong will, acting independently, not being undermined as "just kids". I think as a kid, I would have watched this film dozens of times.

Secondly, as an adult, I still enjoyed this movie. A kids movie that also works for adults? As a parent, let me tell you, those don't come so easy.

Thirdly, the mix between video-game plot elements, aesthetics, structure, etc. Were delightful. The sets (I had to google where it was filmed - Wyoming I think?) were beautiful, and took us out of the usual "seen this a million times" aesthetics.

Fourth, I think the actors (kid actors) were very natural and did a great job. At no moment in the film did I cringe from acting, even though some film critics didn't seem satisfied (yes The Guardian, I'm thinking of you).

In general, this movie is original and atypical. I actually WANT to reccoment it to people, and feel like I want to keep an eye on the director's future creations. Maybe the reason why critics didn't enjoy it so much is because it neither fits into the festival-film aesthetics, nor the commercial film aesthetics. Why? Maybe because this is an actual Auteur film. The movie conveys a personal sense of reality and fantasy, crosses borders, does its own thing without so much a bother of if it fits into a category or another. It doesn't shy away from scenes that can seem a bit ridiculous, for the purpose of the magic and fantasy of the story and what it conveys.

I give it a big A+ - highly reccomended.