The biggest underdog story at this year’s Oscars was Flow, the independent Latvian animation that beat the might of Pixar, Aardman, and Dreamworks to take home Best Animated Feature.
The film’s success saw a statue of the lead character, a black cat, built in Riga – but the film is a monument all on its own.
Containing no dialogue, it’s the story of a cat whose contented existence is shattered by a seemingly apocalyptic flood. Scrambling for survival in the ever-rising waters, the feline climbs aboard an abandoned sailboat, eventually joined by other animals including a capybara, secretarybird, lemur, and a golden retriever. They bundle together in the hope they’ll survive by finding another life somewhere drier.
Created with computer animation that has the visual effect of watercolour painting, Flow is an astoundingly beautiful film. If all the motley crew of critters were to do was sail through a flooded landscape, it would be enough to make your jaw drop. Luckily for us, there’s also a wonderful story to go along with it.
It should be said that Flow isn’t for children, not because of any violence but because the themes are emotionally heavy, even for adults. It’s a film about hope, where life keeps throwing danger at our heroes, who at first scramble against the current, but soon learn to move with it.
Throughout the story, it’s less about what happens to these adorable survivors, and more how they react to the unusual challenges in their way.
That said, you may whisper to yourself “please let the cat be ok” more than once.
In terms of the actual animals and how they’re presented, creators have leant into realism. Aside from some narrative liberties, the animals behave as you would expect them to in real life, with a range of motion and expression that says more than a thousand-page script ever could.
Messages conveyed through soulful stares, barks, or meows become absolutely devastating.
Emotional without succumbing fully to darkness, Flow is a masterful example of what animation can do when viewed from a different perspective. Following an award season fraught with debate, there’s no denying this gorgeous film its victory.
