Life Animated review: Award-winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams directs this outstanding documentary about the truly inspiring young man, Owen Suskind.
Life Animated review by Paul Heath, December 2016.
There is, once in a while, a film that comes along that not only surprises you, but sincerely affects you, moves you, makes you laugh and uplifts and inspires you all at the same. One such film is Life, Animated, a feature documentary which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival back in January of this year. It is finally released in selected UK cinemas and on iTunes this week.
Roger Ross Williams‘ film focuses on the past and present life of Owen Suskind, a young man from the United States who was born with a form of autism, one that silenced him as a child, and left him unable to communicate with his family. Based on the writings of his Pulitzer Prize-winner father, from his best-selling novel of the same name, the film recounts how a younger Owen managed to overcome his personal issues as a child through watching classic Disney movies, and also how he has progressed through to young adulthood, falling in love, and ultimately independence in leaving the family home and into an apartment all of his own.
Owen Suskind in Life, Animated
I have to admit that I was spellbound by this remarkable story from the off. Through intimate access to the Suskind family, and from following Owen for the best part of a year, Williams’ has constructed a multi-layered truly inspirational story of a man who has come from not being able to talk as a child, to touring the world and taking part in Q+As to motivate, educate and help others with autism as a young man. The film almost serves as a tool in itself, the young Suskind continuing to participate in panel sessions as he continues to promote the film around the world.
Rather than using talking heads to guide us through the story, Williams manages to use archive footage, newly captured footage of Owen and his family, as well as new, very well executed animation (from the Mac Guff company, those responsible for the likes of Despicable Me, Minions etc), to bring his remarkable continuing journey to life. Owen is at the forefront of every scene, and Williams immerses the viewer into his world by using advanced camera techniques (like the so-called ‘Intertron’, a camera inside a TV) and clever editing – Disney clips are used throughout to relate the viewer to a relevant event in Owen’s life.
While the past is very much part of this journey and covered eloquently, the film is at its strongest when we see Owen progressing by doing the things that we can all relate to – moving house, having a job interview, or simply baking cookies – something that he does head on, as well as fearlessly taking on something that perhaps some of us may be fearful of – public speaking, something that some of us may be fearful of. The sequence in which Owen travels to France to speak about autism is particularly poignant, and indeed equally emotional, as you feel that you too have been on his life journey with him – how can he go from not speaking to standing up in front of a thousand people to deliver a self-penned speech? He is a remarkable human being, and this is a truly remarkable account of his life story so far.
There’s not a single thing that I can fault with this wonderfully told, deeply engrossing, feel good documentary. Please, go see it.
Life Animated review by Paul Heath, December 2016.
Life, Animated is released in UK cinemas and on iTunes on 9th December, 2016.
