USA
3.5 OUT OF 4 STARS
When little Sophie’s parents die, they are not the only ones sent to an unworldly afterlife.
Sent to live with her eccentric uncle, Sophie discovers his curious hobby. Kabuki performers are controlled by an elaborate mechanism of gears and pulleys, masterminded by Sophie’s odd relation.
Impressively, this highly creative film was made in ten days -- one day for each minute on screen -- as part of the Seattle International Film Fest’s Fly Filmmaking Challenge for local artists. Live action characters slide into animated cut-outs, creating a fantastical new world. Matt Hutchinson’s score sounds influenced by Danny Elfman, and the whole production would fit right into a Tim Burton film.
Director Matt Daniels creates an eerily lovely Alice in half-dead land, where little is startling but all is wonderfully unusual.