Water, earth, fire, air... These four natural elements drive the little world imagined by Peter Sohn for his new animated film. The director is responsible for Pixar Studios' 27th feature film , Elementary, due in cinemas on June 21, 2023.
Peter Sohn(Arlo's Journey) explains that he was inspired by his childhood in New York. " My parents emigrated from Korea in the early 1970s and set up a grocery store in the Bronx. We were one of those families who ventured into a new country with dreams and hopes - all mixed together in a big bath of cultures and languages in pretty little neighborhoods. That's what led me to Élémentaire. Our story is inspired by the natural elements - fire, water, earth and air. Some elements mix with each other, others don't. What if these elements were alive? What if these elements were alive? " asks the director.
In some cinemas, the film will be preceded by a short film, Carl's Date, the follow-up to Pixar's smash hit Là-Haut.
Our verdict
InElement City, fire, water, earth and air live in perfect harmony. That is, as long as each one stays in its own corner. The elements don't always mix well, and their cohabitation can quickly become explosive. This city, clearly reminiscent of New York, is home to Flam, an intrepid, quick-witted young woman with a strong character, and Flack, a sentimental, fun-loving boy who's more of a follower at heart. Their meeting is the starting point for a succession of disasters, but above all for a beautiful love story.
Pixar's new film is the first romantic comedy of its kind. The viewer soon realizes that Flam and Flack are not just friends. Rather rare in a children's film, this genre is well brought out this time, not always subtle, but wildly endearing. There's no great originality in this tale of impossible love between two opposing "races". As is often the case in Pixar films, there is a subtext, and this is obvious: Elementary is about racism and the desire for social as well as racial diversity (Flam's family is immigrant and poor, while Flack's illustrates a bourgeoisie rooted in art culture).
If the premise doesn't appeal to you, at least let yourself be carried away by the film's sumptuous animation. A pioneer in CG animation, Pixar proves once again that it's miles ahead of the competition in this field. Elementary is brimming with dazzling visual ideas, and the pinnacle of visual demonstration is reached during an incredible basketball game scene - or at least, the equivalent of this sport in the world ofElementary. Here we see the countless possibilities that such characters offer in terms of animation, and the way the film plays with these bodies of fire, water, plants or air is very reminiscent of Monsters & Co.
What's more, each of these races is animated in a very specific style, giving the whole thing a strange feel. Like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (although the latter pushes the envelope much further), the characters inElemental seem to come straight from different movies, and we'd almost like to see a film entirely dedicated to their little daily lives. For it's true that while the two main characters are fire and water, the plant and wind protagonists are less exploited.
Last but not least, we must mention the short film that precedes the film, Carl's Rendezvous, a true marvel of less than ten minutes. As the introductory sequence to Là-Haut proved, Pixar is capable of upsetting us in record time, and this short, once again featuring the character of Carl, takes its cue from its predecessor. Given the film's brevity, we won't reveal anything about it, except that it's a concentrate of emotions!
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