It doesn't matter is your black or white (Renaissance (DVD))

Name: samueltyler

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Product:	Renaissance (DVD)
Date:	18/12/06 (110 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great look, interesting science fiction

Disadvantages: Too slow for some, confusing in parts

The word renaissance conjures up many different scenes in my head. I think of an Italy full of the greatest artists, scholars, mathematicians and philosophers all working together to enrich society. Or on a smaller note you can imagine the great come backs of our time. Take That! Where did they disappear to only to return slightly crumpled but still as good? Now the word conjures up a new image, one of noir cartoons, hard science fiction and impenetrable plotlines.

‘Renaissance’ is a CGI cartoon with a few major differences from the usual fare. For one, it’s French. Also the fact that there are no talking animals on show, it’s all shot in a black and white comic book way, and that it deals with adult themes. This means that it is perhaps more comparable to ‘Blade Runner’ than ‘Shrek’. If note the fact that it is essentially a hard science fiction film that just happens to be in a cartoon format, you may like it more than you would think.

50 years in the future the world has changed, but not as much as you may expect. People are still driven by the need to look young and beautiful. This world is a dangerous place and when a young but brilliant student is kidnapped, it is up to maverick cop Karas to uncover were she is. With the help of the student’s sister Bislane, Karas uncovers a world of danger were the highest powers will do anything to get their hands on a formula that will make people pretty for longer. Can Karas and Bislane survive long enough to unravel the mystery behind Iiona’s disappearance and if they succeed is it actually the best thing?

The most prominent aspect of this feature is the style that the producers have decided to take. It is a combination of film noir and the black and white carton strips that you get in France. This means that there is as much use of shadow as there is light. For me it is a stunning looking CGI film that does differentiate itself from anything else out there. The characters are motion captured so they move like us; the closet film I have seen to it would be ‘A Scanner Darkly’ or even ‘Sin City’. The best parts are when the film makers revel in their effects and have someone talking to another person via a reflection or through glass. It does look great, but is it enough to carry a whole film?

The answer would have to be a certain no. For all the positive aspects that the look and feel give the film there are a few things that just let it down. Firstly, the voice acting is not the strongest. Although a French film, it is dubbed into English and the characters’ mouths do move correctly. It is the actors used that let the film down a little. The main culprit is Daniel Craig as Karas, that’s right James Bond is not very good! Craig is a good actor but he comes across as very dark and determined. This comes across in his voice as sounding a bit bored and he does not give the character the urgency needed. The other actors used such as Catherine McCormack and Ian Holmes are also a bit bland, even if it does fit into the feel of a sterile world gone bad. Add to this Jonathan Price as Paul Dellenbach and you have an overly hammy actor in a pivotal role (I will never forgive him for his awful turn in ‘The World is not Enough’). Volckman should really have chosen stronger voice talents as it does detract from the film, giving it a blandness that it perhaps does not deserve.

A final point of conflict is the story itself. Depending on your own tastes the narrative could easily effect the enjoyment of the film. It is pretty slow and confusing in parts and brings out the noir and science fiction in the film. I was unable to follow what was happening in some sections of the film but this may have been done to add to the mysterious feel. My partner absolutely loved the fact that the film was ambiguous and felt that the film had a much more 1950s feel to it than many modern films. It is the story elements of the film that will determine a person’s opinion on it. It has such a strong hold on the film that the effects and voice acting can not stand apart from the central thread.

So your enjoyment of this film depends not on your love of the actors involved or even the pioneering use of CGI. Instead it all depends on your taste in film. If you like obscure science fiction films such as ‘Dark City’ and ‘Cipher’ then this film is definitely worth watching as these are the nearest things to it. If you like to watch film noir, then this film may hold some interest. However, if you are more a fan of ‘Over the Hedge’ or ‘M111’ you will probably find this film far too slow and confusing. I for one found it an interesting watch but not one of my favourite films of all time.

Summary: An interesting film that is unlike anything out there