DESCRIPTION

CAST

REVIEWS

• 

  Peng

  80/100
  Brilliance in a small package

  Short but sweet. A fitting description for this beautifully constructed gem, _La Maison en Petits Cubes_ presents a simple story with a truly resonating effect. An elderly man lives a solitary life in his single room house, completely surrounded by water. As the water level rises, he is repeatedly forced to build additional layers. One day, he accidentally drops his favourite smoking pipe. Diving into the depths of the lower levels of his home, he relives memories of bygone days, ultimately re-emerging with these memories and as a changed man. _La Maison en Petits Cubes_ is only twelve minutes long, yet in that short span of time it manages to create a heartwarming and emotionally stimulating story. We truly sympathise for the man, secluded and labouring away with only a collection of family photos on the wall to keep him company. But as he dives down further and further, the scenes from his past, which are heartfelt by themselves, form a narrative of his life. Bittersweet and filled with emotions, they seem to reinvigorate the man, breathing the life back into him. And that is the simple yet elegantly presented message of the story. Cherish these memories, take them for what they are. You may never be able to relive them but, as long as you have them with you, that is reason enough to keep on going. In the early stages of the film we see the man fishing through a trap door in the floor of his level. Perhaps he is searching for these memories, for these moments to reignite his life. We only learn the bare minimums of the world the man lives in and the details of his life, but that is all we need to know. Anything beyond what is presented would only weigh the film down and unnecessarily complicate things. Visually, the film is seemingly a blend of watercolour and sketches. This is a unique and simple style that complements the story by invoking a more personal, heartfelt or homely feel. Life is presented as a painting, as art. And although this is arguably reductive in a sense, it succeeds in capturing the sheer emotion and beauty that is the old man's life. The film makes great use of the orange/blue colour palette too, and in quite a unique fashion. The soundtrack is equally simple yet appropriate, consummating the mood and tone of the story beautifully. There is no dialogue and none is needed. Although the story itself is unique, the central theme and concept has definitely been addressed in a multitude of other works, which, given its simplicity, is only to be expected. This by no mean detracts from the film, and in the end it does just what it intended to do: present a simple yet heartwarming tale. Basic but graceful in design, _La Maison en Petits Cubes_ really tugs on the heartstrings resulting in a genuinely beautiful product. Having won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2009, the film really goes to show how complex plots and characters are not needed to construct an uplifting piece, and that sometimes the most simple of things can have the most profound effects. At twelve minutes long, there is no excuse not to watch this. You won't be disappointed.
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• 

  CryingLad

  62/100
  A short little movie about the past.

  [There will be spoilers, or something.]()

  
  
  Tsumiki no Ie is a short little movie about an old man and his journey through his memories.

  [PREMISE OF THE MOVIE:]()
  At the start of the movie the old man is seen fishing in the house after looking at the pictures of his family.
  The fishing through his house could be interpreted as him trying to fish out his memories to the new surface. Why am I saying new surface, well you see due to the rising sea water he had to build additional cubes to stay above the water level, many memories got trapped in the cubes.
  After an attempt of moving his old stuff he drops his favourite pipe down the trapdoor.

  The old man rents a scuba gear and proceeds down the memory lane, quite literally.
  Each level he goes down he remembers a new memory of him and his wife, from the moments they met each other to their very last days.
  Each time he enters a new room the colours are a melancholic blue and shift into a cheerful yellow when he remembers the good ol' days.

  

  
  

  [ART/ANIMATION:]()
  The animation is not bad, it feels like it could've been hand made, its smooth and yet has that choppy feeling to it.
  All of the colours in the movie blend together into one, complementing each other along the way. It makes for an interesting aesthetic to the movie.

  

  
  

  [MUSIC:]()
  There is no dialouge in the movie apart from the OST and some sound effects.
  The OST is really good. During the memory scenes the songs move to a melancholic vibe. Really slow and heavy hitting to emphasise the sheer sadness contained in these memories.

  

  
  

  [OVERALL OPINION:]()
  The movie is not bad, its 12 minutes long and its simple and yet sweet. The movie is not bad in anyway shape or form.
  The old man remembers his past fun memories which makes him really sad and upset and yet he pushes onwards to a new day (like we can see at the end of the movie). A story about the past and moving on. Quite good.

  Yes my score is quite low for the movie but that shouldn't really discourage anyone from watching this little movie.

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