Les amants électriques

If you have ever watched any of Plympton's shorts you already know that his animation has a distinctive look (hand-painted, pencil-colored, with a predominance of soft and pastels hues), a constant presence of a witty philosophical look at the world, and a strong surreal and whimsical imprint.

Cheatin' tells the story of a romance, from infatuation to real love, marriage, daily expressions of love, jealousy, cheating, and reconciliation with a great insight into the world of romantic love and the intricacies of human relationships, without the need of a word being uttered. Most people with a heart will relate to the way romantic emotions, positive and negative, are depicted in the film, and will like or at least be surprised at finding Plympton's whimsical surreal humorous elements presented in such an approachable and meaningful way.

The film has a strong presence of Opera arias, the lyrics being intrinsically linked to what is being told in the story. So, in a way, this is a modern operetta that pays a homage to the reality of love, that starts as a fantasy and projection onto the other and evolves in ways of relating that aren't always functional or what one expected beforehand.

Cheatin' is a great animated film on all fronts. Plympton's trademark animation and insightful eye are still there, but the narrative and story are very approachable for the general public. I loved the film, didn't find it boring at all.Yet, the movie would have been as good even if it had been 15-20 minutes shorter.

The movie has explicit sex scenes, so not a film for children.