DVD Review: Waltz With Bashir

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Something to help your memory.

Ari Folman has trouble remembering parts of the Lebanon war in the 80's. He decides he wants to speak with former friends and veterans to see what they remember and if they can help him. Instead of interviews in a documentary format. He chooses to tell his story through animation and reenactments of the conversations he had.

This has been on my watch list for ages. I've always heard such wonderful things. Watching it now, I can see why it sticks with people. I'm not sure if I've ever seen anything like this. 

The animation is singular and doesn't feel like I've seen something like it over and over. The way Folman crafts this film together is fascinating. It blends fantasies, the horrors of war, and simple conversations well. It does drag a bit here and there, but it never stops being easy to watch.

Fun fact: I handle cartoon dog death and vomiting about as well as I handle it in live action films....which is really poorly.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "It's fine as long as you draw, but don't film." - Ronny Dayag

Comments

  1. DellSeptember 15, 2015 at 5:10 PM

    Very happy you finally got around to this one. It's an amazing film. And no. There is nothing else like it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 15, 2015 at 10:33 PM

      Thanks for the rec :) Our round table discussions really pushed me to seek this out more quickly.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 15, 2015 at 6:48 PM

    Oh glad you got around to this one. It's something special, I think. But yeah, I don't like sad dogs or vomit no matter what the format.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kevin PowersSeptember 19, 2015 at 2:11 PM

    I watched this recently myself. Really a cool, powerful stuff. I agree it drags a bit, especially for a film with such a short run time. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 20, 2015 at 9:20 AM

      It really did. For some reason I didn't glance at the run time before I put the DVD in, but when I looked at my watch, I was surprised. It felt so much longer. I'm glad you liked it too.

      Delete
  4. JoshOctober 5, 2015 at 2:08 AM

    It really is an unforgettable experience. Glad you liked it.

    ReplyDelete

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