Director: Paulo Gaudio.
Cast: Luca Lionello, Lorenzo Monaco, Nicoletta Cefaly, Angelique Cavallari.
Certificate: N/A
Running Time: 87 minutes
Synopsis: 3 seemingly unlinked tales recount different run-ins with the unfinished work of Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Reveries Of A Lonely Walker isn’t so much a complete film as it is an announcement of an interesting talent. Jumping between three differently presented but thematically linked stories, feature length debut filmmaker Paulo Gaudio pulls out all the tricks to demonstrate his creativity and his comfortableness with many different techniques.
In an undisclosed period of time, a struggling poet named Jean-Jacques Renou (Lionello) struggles with interpreting the unfinished works of his namesake, Jean-Jacques Rousseau. This no better highlighted than when the paper comes to life and hides itself in a draw, into which Jean-Jacques must venture. It’s a moment of surreal brilliance, given extra charm by Gaudio use of classic stop-motion animation. The paper jolts across the screen, even though an unseen hand could have just slid it off. What this adds is a magical and fantastical element that serves the film well as it constantly acquires the feel of a dark bedtime story.
Even more magical, like something directly out of a fairytale, are the fully stop-motion animated sequences in which a young boy traverses through the woods. The animation here is powerful and unique. It certainly echoes the work of Burton and Selick at their best, but the character designs owe very little to any pre-existing animation company. It’s also encouraging to see the fingerprints of the animators left in the clay of the models. It’s a beautiful reminder of the talent and skill that goes into the art-form.
With two such highly stylised segments, it’s a shame that the modern day elements, in which a student discovers a book that leads him into the world of the Jean-Jacques, doesn’t quite gel. On its own it’s an enjoyable piece. But the wide-angle shots and more realistic and common mise-en-scene struggle to convey the magic found elsewhere. It may also have something to do with these parts being more dialogue heavy, The magic isn’t completely gone though, and the use of peculiar paper sets, abstract editing, and quirky music can be found throughout.
As a demonstration of what Guido is capable of achieving, Reveries Of A Lonely Walker, pretty much cements the path of a very interesting career to come. It feels older than its years, and has a distinct voice that will probably be regrettably lost in today’s cinema. Uneven? Certainly! But quite the experience for anybody who wants to see that something a little different.
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