The mysteries of life, time, the past and the present are amazingly depicted in this curious and intriguing short film that mixes rotoscope
animation, live action and archive footage, immersing us in a story that challenges any possible explanation about the human designs and the so-called
eternal recurrence of a life. Some will see it through a philosophical lens, others will see through a spiritual perspective, but both can't deny the
experience of watching and thinking about "Anne" in a very interesting and fanastic manner. If it doesn't move you, at least it'll provide you with
plenty of astonishing ideas that will keep you awake at night.
It's based on a real life story revolving a young boy named James who couldn't sleep due to a series of nightmares related with a WWII pilot
whose plane was shot down in the pacific and little James sees and feels the pilot's point of view, the memories of war and the persistent idea that
he had a mission to complete. His parents are intrigued and the psychologist helping the boy doesn't have answers for this peculiar case. How come
a kid from a contemporary era have vivid memories from a different period? Is there some sort of answer to the nightmares? What is the pilot mission
and why the boy has something to do with it?
Slightly predictable with the main idea, "Anne" still manages to throw some surprises at us and become a memorable experience worth seeing. It is
about past lives (a theme that attracts me) and this one surprised me a little as it escaped from some cliches used in other artistic forms. It's not fully
a religious look into the matter, it's more like a mystical view of the universe where some lives can connect with an event or a person from a differnt era
and that connection can evolve in unexpected ways many decades later (mankind and its eternal sense of closure).
The combination of techniques makes it a very artistic and rewarding experience as it allows us to separate the different eras, and the animated present has more of
a dream quality than if we were seeing the actors playing on screen (which would look corny or the acting would look too sentimental). The drawings work
very beautifully and we're mesmerized by its quality.
Last but not least, it's one of those rare film experiences that can make you look at life in a different manner. 9/10.
