We can go anywhere, do anything..we just gotta stick together!: Getting Back To Basics With Luca.

Much like this week’s Fi’s Favourites film recommendation, this week’s blog will be a short and sweet one. Spring is on its way, the sun has shown itself a few times now and everyone seems to be in a bit of a better mood, so it seems like the right time for something cheerful. This week, then, I am recommending Disney/Pixar’s Luca.

As soon as I saw the trailer for this film, I knew I was going to love it! And I did; hence, why we find ourselves here. I am not a stranger to talking about animation or recommending it, whether it be children’s films or not. Animation is a wonderful tool for the film world to use and explore. There is a reason it is one of the major formats used in children’s films. Not only is it attractive to look at it, it is also an effective and powerful medium to explore challenging and difficult subject matter.

This is not exclusive to children’s films. It is an effective way to look at life, our world and society in general. With animation, we are always one step removed from society, like holding up a fogged mirror to the world and challenging what we see without directly critiquing it.

I know I have praised the East a lot, and they are the masters of animation and anime, but this time it is the West’s turn for some praise. Something I have noticed is that when Disney and Pixar team up, the technical quality of the animation is on a totally other level and that holds true for Luca. The animation is so crisp and clear. This is the essence of the film’s Western-style animation, which has so much colour in it. I don’t think I have seen a film this colourful since I was a child. With such clarity and colour, you can almost feel the heat of the sun on your skin.

Luca captures the essence of Italian culture. There are no caricatures or stereotypes. Instead, there is an accurate depiction of the beauty and simplicity of Italian life. This idea of simplicity is probably my favourite aspect of the film and, indeed, leads me to my next point.

As I have said, animation is a fantastic means for filmmakers to explore difficult truths and topics that children may be experiencing or will come across in their lives in the future. The powerhouses of Disney and Pixar have been pushing the boat out in recent years, taking on more and more challenging topics, from illness and parental death to, most recently, menstruation and the beginning of womanhood. While I can understand what these filmmakers are doing here, sometimes simplicity is just as important.

Films do not always need to teach us some great moral lesson. Sometimes the simplicity of filmic stories can teach us the most. This is a simple story about friendship and enjoying the uncomplicated adventures we embark on during childhood. It's about embracing every moment before we grow up, when we are still naive and not distracted by the realities of the future; a time when Summer’s main goal is to have fun or, in Luca’s case, get a Vespa.

Even though this film does not produce some great moral question that we must answer, it does teach us something: that we don’t have to look for something outside of our own lives for happiness. There is much joy and love to be found in our lives as they are. There is happiness in being present and simply focusing on the sun warming your skin while you enjoy an ice cream with your best friend.

I love all forms of cinema and film. They are my absolute passion in life, but I do have a soft spot for children’s films. This has always been because of escapism. Filmmakers need to look at life from a child’s perspective in order to make a film that will appeal to children. Of course, these films have nuances only adults will understand, which is why when the lights come on in the cinema, it is the adults wiping away their tears after Toy Story and not the children. Despite this, the core of the story must still appeal to children. In recent years, these nuances have become more obvious and pronounced or maybe children understand them faster because they are growing up faster due to many factors. For me, Luca is Disney/Pixar’s most triumphant film in recent years because of its return to childishness, its ease and its focus on simply being, ‘Dolca far niente’.