The idea that animation should only be used for certain stories is an archaic idea. Animation is such an expensive, labor-intensive process that it causes filmmakers to ask, “Does this need to be animated?” Before embarking on a multi-year journey to bring your projects to life. However, eschewing talking animals and magical realms doesn’t have to mean putting down the pencil and picking up the camera; Animation is also a medium for adult, human stories. It may be difficult to create, but that is what gives the art its value. in waves It embodies the spirit of art for art’s sake, a film with an experimental presentation but a simple coming of age story. Not everything works, but in waves Reaches something that audiences need to see more movies for.
Directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen, in waves Adapted from the autobiographical graphic novel by AJ Dungo. It follows AJ, played by Will Sharp, as he prepares to leave high school and encounters Kristen, played by Stephanie Hsu, who changes his life forever. Her passion for surfing and the ocean takes root in AJ, and their love blossoms fast and brightly. But when Kristen is diagnosed with cancer, their relationship and dreams for the future are thrown into doubt.
to be based on autobiography in waves‘The greatest power. In such an emotionally heavy story, and especially when depicting the lives of modern teenagers, it can be difficult to strike the right pitch for dialogue. Sounding too adult may seem inauthentic to them, and misguided attempts to get them to use relevant swear words only lead to disaster. in waves Doesn’t suffer from any of this and displays dialogue that rings true to these people who are mature enough to understand the seriousness of their situation but without the emotional development to deal with it in a healthy way.
Another strong aspect of AJ’s story is his own and his friend group’s ethnic background. Despite all being born and raised in LA, they feel attracted to different parts of the world, reaching the age where you start to wonder about your roots and the fundamentals of who you are. Again, none of this is too obvious; It comes out naturally in conversation, as if Dungo has memorized each line verbatim. Kristen feels particularly connected to Hawaiian culture, which ties into her love of surfing. She often talks about the traditions of surfing in Polynesian culture and the ways it was suppressed by colonialism.
Image Credit: Silex Films
The concept of finding freedom by diving into water is a completely fascinating and nuanced subject. in waves. It simultaneously has cultural relevance and personal relevance to the characters. Surfing is depicted as allowing a pure connection with the earth, being part of something seemingly endless, literally a drop in the ocean. in waves It’s about releasing your grip and embracing the chaos of life; It’s about riding the wave.
for that much in waves While thematically sophisticated, its visuals are somewhat lacking. in waves Shot for an experimental look, entirely 2D backgrounds were created and the human characters were CG models that were likely rotoscoped. In terms of background, you’d be hard-pressed to find any problems. Some of the background textures and skylines have a crayon-like quality. Sometimes this will be mixed with some watercolor effects for clouds and rain. It’s a great way to show the transitional period the characters are in, and I would happily browse a gallery adorned with these images.
The more uncomfortable scenes come from the character animation. The CG movement sometimes feels a little too smooth and polished, as if a few more blemishes have been added to its authenticity. A bigger problem comes with facial animations, which often lack detail in mouth movements that look very unnatural. Even hair texture can look extremely wrong, especially in dark lighting. This experimental style isn’t easy to pull off, and half of it is absolutely excellent, but the character animation was so distracting that it almost detracted from the emotional impact of the story.
i’d love to see someone swing like that in waves Better to move on to something safe and supernatural. A lot of people can really relate to this in waves Looks good, and I would urge everyone to try to see it, even if it doesn’t look appealing. The humanity of the story feels too fresh and unoriginal for animation, and I would love nothing more than to see the medium used to explore more adult stories. Some of the best animated movies of all time were made by people fearlessly sticking to what they know, what works, what is safe. in waves Could inspire a tsunami of artists to go one step further.
In Waves will be screening at the Annecy Film Festival throughout the week, will arrive in French theaters on July 1, and will arrive on Netflix in most territories later this year.
