Todd's Response: Sita Sings the Blues

(Robyn's Review Here)

3.5 Stars

So, I seem to be in a certain mood about movies lately and that is "Everything Has Been Done Before". Because of this funk, I found this movie very refreshing. Like Robyn mentioned, you really can't say anything bad about the visual effects because they are REALLY impressive. What impresses me the most about them is how unique the four different narrations are. When I was watching the movie, I assumed that four different animators had come together to layer their films, but it turns out that they are all done by the same sad lady. It's really saying something when you consider that most animators pick a certain style and stick with it. It becomes their signature and you can almost tell who did the movie before you read the credits. But this director is actually brave enough to try her hand at 4 distinctive styles and she does them very well.

I think the genius in the movie comes from two concepts. The idea of having 3 actual Indians recount the story (as best they can) brings a very comfortable feel to the movie. They aren't always sure of the details and sometimes even argue about what really happened, but it gives you the feeling that you are sitting around the dinner table with friends, drinking good wine, and listening to a great story. The other cool concept is having one story line being completely driven by 1920s music. The 2D Vector animation used in this segment is probably the most advanced of all the segments, so pairing it with music from the 1920s gives it a really interesting feel that hooks you from the beginning.

My criticisms of the movie are only a few, but I think they hurt the movie a good bit. While the Vector animation and 1920s music is cool initially, it is grossly overused. The concept is intriguing at first, but there are like 10 to 12 songs (and they almost all sound alike) so it leads you to check your watch on occasion to see how much time is left in the movie. Then there is the director's "almost" autobiographical story line. I understand that this is supposed to explain how the director came upon the story and the desire to make the film, but it is really unnecessary. Its entirety probably only adds up to 5 minutes (so it is not very developed) and I found myself being taken out of the movie trying to figure out just how this particular segment was supposed to relate to the rest of the film. In my opinion, this story about how the director was dumped by her husband really just needs to be in the commentary or added as a bonus material segment because it really has no place in the actual film. Lastly, I wasn't a big fan of the plot itself. While some may see it as an example of true love and devotion, I just see it as an incredibly sexist story about how women are second class citizens and should be subservient to their husbands. But then again, I could probably say the same thing about much of the stories from Christian mythology. (Side note: If you were just offended by the fact that I referred to some Bible stories as mythology, you need to get out more . . . seriously.)

All in all though, I think I'm on the same page as Robyn (doesn't happen too often). I'm not putting this on my all time best list or anything, but it's definitely worth checking out. Any if you smoke the ganja, then get some friends together, light up a bowl, and have a good damn night.