hugh jackman – Smaller Pictures

Laika Studio: Film Ranking

We love to discuss animation on this site and I thought it’d be a great idea to delve into one of the most exciting American animation studios and it isn’t Disney. This is all about Laika Film Studio, owned by Nike co-founder Phil Knight. Initially known as Will Vinton Studios before being renamed as Laika in 2005, the studio carried out contract work before diving into exciting features starting with Coraline in 2009. Followed by four more films, Laika has garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Animation Feature for each of its films without a win.

Laika has time and time again grown to become a serious contender in the critical and commercial eye. Using beautiful stopmotion animation with flawless designs and techniques. Their use of textures are particularly brilliant and this can even be seen in their early contract work such as Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride and has only grown over the years. Their films are hugely topical with a particular penchant for exploring identity across a spectrum of races and cultures. Laika’s fearlessness has earned its place among the big animation studios and it’ll be great to see what else they have up their sleeves but for now, this post is all about the five features they have released and includes a ranking which won’t be easy. All five films are of such high quality so I’m doing giving myself an easy task at all.

Here are my reviews for the features from Laika:

Coraline (2009)

Laika’s debut comes in the form of fan-favourite, Coraline. Following the titular character, a young girl who has moved home with her parents to a new mansion that has been split up into apartments. Coraline finds an alternative universe known as The Other World where everyone exists with button eyes but appear to be nicer with the house looking brighter than reality. Coraline enjoys spending time with her Other Parents but the facade quickly fades away as all is not as it seems. She has to figure out how to stop her Other Mother from sewing buttons over her eyes and joining them in the Other World which is revealed to be a dark and miserable place. Directed and written by Henry Selick and based on a book by Neil Gaiman, Coraline brought Laika to the spotlight with its unique stopmotion designs and dazzling story-telling. A wonderfully dark film that has appealed to all ages and accumulated a huge fan base, Coraline is a spectacular achievement and a great start for Laika’s legacy.

ParaNorman (2012)

The follow-up feature released by Laika was the supernatural comedy-horror, ParaNorman. Following Norman Babcock, a young boy who appears normal but has a gift of seeing dead people. This has given Norman a reputation for his weirdness in his town but with the help of his best friend, Neil, he is able to get by. There is a threat from witches who were hunted down centuries before and it’s up to Norman and his gift to save everyone. ParaNorman is an exciting and fresh film, blurring the line between children and adult films. Enjoyable for ages, it isn’t afraid to push taboo subjects and includes the first openly guy character in an animation. It may only be one line and not seem like much, but it had such a huge affect on how filmmakers can approach these topics for children. It was even the first PG rated film to be nominated for the GLAAD Best Film award which is a brilliant step forward and has helped to inspire more discussion in mainstream animation films.

The Boxtrolls (2014)

The third film by Laika comes in the form of The Boxtrolls, a film that follows Eggs, a young boy who is raised by the titular Boxtrolls, creatures who collect and hoard rubbish. It is up to Eggs to save the Boxtrolls when they are threatened by an exterminator. It’s critically known as Laika’s weakest work to date but this is by no means suggesting that it is a terrible film. When faced with films of such high calibre, there will always be a film that falls a little bit short with critics. I am inclined to agree as The Boxtrolls doesn’t have the right balance between silliness and sincerity, often favouring the former which makes for some absurd and overly childish watching. The villains are the best part of the film with Ben Kingsley voice performance as the ridiculous Snatcher an absolute delight but sadly, his character arc doesn’t seem to pay off. The Boxtrolls is a film filled to the brim with creativity and visually it’s great but the script is not as consistent and controlled as it could have been which lets it down slightly.

Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

Kubo and the Two Strings shows just how big Laika can go. Using the same budget as its predecessors, Kubo and the Two Strings follows the titular character on his quest across lands and sea to defeat his aunts and grandfather who are after his one eye after taking the other when he was an infant. Set in Japan and inspired by origami in its animation style as well as the magic Kubo has, the film is beautifully textured and atmospheric. It also features a brilliant cast led by Art Parkinson as Kubo with supporting turns from Charlie Thereon, Matthew McConaughey and Rooney Mara. There is a real rawness to Kubo and the Two Strings that feels unseen and new in that it has such a mature outlook for a children’s film but is engaging and exciting at the same time. The music scored by Dario Marianelli is astonishingly beautiful taking inspiration from traditional Japanese music with heavy use of the shamisen. Deservedly winning the BAFTA for Best Animated Feature in what was a fantastic win, it sadly lost the Oscar which I think it should have won. However, the BAFTA shows that there is a place for Laika and they will get that deserved Oscar.

Missing Link (2019)

The latest Laika feature to be released is the road film, Missing Link. Following Sasquatch, Mr Susan Link, who is accompanied by English explorer, Sir Lionel Frost, to travel to the Himalayas to be reunited with his Yeti relatives. Sadly, Missing Link was a huge box office bomb despite its universal acclaim and award nominations including a win for the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature. What makes it even worse is how amazing Missing Link is. Equipped with a massive $102 million, Laika were able to go bigger and better with this film and brought a star-studded cast led by Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana and Zach Galifianakis. The results are exquisite with the studio taking advantage of the film’s global journey by creating a brilliant scope of flawless sets. The animation department did a stellar job with this, particularly the Washington woodlands were Susan comes from and the Yeti’s home in Shangri-la which are spectacular and jaw-dropping to look at. Hopefully in time, there will be more love for this film because it is such a light-hearted and beautiful feature that is enjoyable for all ages. A really wonderful addition to the Laika filmography.

With all the reviews said and done, I can’t recommend enough that if you haven’t seen these films then you do so immediately and if you have then watch them again because they are phenomenal and beautiful. Laika has proven that there is a place for stopmotion animation in the modern age with each film looking so distinctly unique from the other. Laika’s refusal to adhere to a formulaic method of filmmaking has made it one of the most exciting animation houses in the world and the critical acclaim it receives only adds to the encouragement and push for even more progressive films. I am so excited to see what the future holds for this studio and hope that they recover from the commercial loss of Missing Link because it is a necessary animation house and one that refuses to conform, inviting its audience to think about what they’re watching.

Without further ado, here is my Laika Studio ranking:

1) Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

2) Paranorman (2012)

3) Coraline (2009)

4) Missing Link (2019)

5) The Boxtrolls (2014)

So that’s all the reviews and ranking done and dusted. Not easy as I predicted but it’s always great to appreciate the quality of animation, particularly from a studio where the process takes even longer than usual computer or handdrawn animated films.

What do you think of my ranking? Which Laika film is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below!

Top 5 Viola Davis Performances

A reigning Queen of the Silver Screen, Viola Davis is a titan of acting who shows us time and time again that she really is among the best of the best. She is also the first black actress to receive the Triple Crown of Acting. She is renowned for her grace and poise, she fights for what she believes in and only takes on roles that she wants. She is an icon in a number of different ways but for me, it is her passion for acting and determination to get to the heart of her characters that really stands out for me. You can tell that she truly loves what she does and that she puts herself into the characters whether it be an FBI agent in Suicide Squad, the mother of a missing child in Prisoners or a woman broken by a society that cripples her family because of the colour of their skin in Fences. I can’t even begin to say how much I love VIola Davis as an actress and activist

As ever, these posts delve into film performances so even though her inputs in projects such as the TV series How to Get Away With Murder are incredible, they won’t be added in the list. This also makes it a bit easier when picking the performances for my list.

Here are my top 5 performances in chronological order:

Doubt (2008)

The breakthrough performance that cemented Davis’ career onscreen, Doubt is a star-studded film that features iconic stars Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who all received Oscar nominations for their performances. Following Sister Aloysius (Streep) and Sister James (Adams) as they plot to bring down Father Flynn (Hoffman) who is suspected of molesting the school’s first black student. What was the most heartwrenching scene to come from this film was the performance from Viola Davis, an actress who had made her name on TV and the stage but had not broken into the film industry just yet. Her performance as Mrs. Miller, the mother of the abused child, is small but captivating as she struggles with the truth and her faith. It’s a pained performance that holds its ground against three of the best actors in modern times. Davis’ character admits that she would overlook the abuse if it meant that her son could still attend the school and escape from the socioeconomic background that he would be subjected to were he not attending. In one scene she becomes a parent torn by the abuse of secular and religious authorities. She knows that it is a world where they cannot win without suffering and the heartbreak of that realisation sits with you for the duration of the film.

The Help (2011)

Now for the film that solidified Davis as a leading star and should have won her an Academy Award (let’s not even get into that one). I am aware that The Help is a controversial film to put in here and it is completely understandable. The film sadly follows white saviour tropes as Emma Stone’s character, Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, helps to expose the abuse that the black maids in Jackson have received. The maids that she initially speak to are Aibileen Clark (Davis) and Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer) who both provide brilliant performances. I know that sadly these kinds of roles feed into prejudice perceptions of non-white actors who are often delegated to subservient characters. I remember watching this film for the first time and absolutely loving the characters and how much they fight back. The film definitely has its flaws but both Davis and Spencer shine and earn their acclaim. Both characters are brilliantly developed and the scenes with the two of them in are fantastic. Davis has such a presence and says so much with a facial expression. Her performance as Aibileen is a masterclass of acting and only serves as a small step in a huge career.

Prisoners (2013)

This may be an unexpected inclusion into the list but I enjoyed this film a lot. Serving as Denis Villeneuve’s English-language debut, I went into thinking it would be a typical action drama but it was so much more than that. Davis plays Nancy Birch, a woman who’s daughter is kidnapped with her best friend. It’s a film that plays out every parent’s worst nightmare and the lengths one will go to to bring back their child. Davis is maternal, fierce and conflicted when Kevin Dover (Hugh Jackman) who’s daughter also went missing finds a suspect, locks him up and begins to beat him. Nancy is a character who refuses to play by others’ rules and does what feels right to her. Although this is a supporting role, Davis still maintains that strong presence onscreen and brings her A-game in a cast that includes Jackman, Terrence Howard and Jake Gyllenhaal to name a few. Much like the conflict Davis brought in Doubt, it’s hard not to feel affected by her performance. Whereas Jackman and Gyllenhaal fit a traditional “masculine” trope, Davis is the maternal heart but brings a strength that is not often given to women in thrillers. Her involvement shows her desire to work with respected directors and actors and also shows her perseverance to choose roles that help progress to women’s roles in films.

Fences (2016)

The one that brought her all the gongs, Fences is an adaptation of August Wilson’s 1985 play of the same name and directed by her co-star, Denzel Washington, who also brings a career best. Washington refused to divert from WIlson’s script meaning that Wilson is credited as screenwriter and received a posthumous Oscar nomination. Admittedly, Washington’s reluctance to divert from the script does make the film feel a bit too stage-like at times but there is no doubt that this is Davis’ film. I honestly think that they should have gone for the Best Leading Actress awards and she would have won it but the Supporting seemed a “safe” category. She plays Rose Lee Maxson, a woman whose life revolves around satisfying the desires of her husband and their son whose goal is to play baseball. Living in a rundown neighbourhood in a deeply racist society where the odds are stacked against them, Rose does not give up and fights while her husband Troy Maxson delves deeper into madness in his failure to succeed in his American Dream. It’s a highly emotionally charged film that sees Davis go into a different league of acting that is rarely seen. She refuses to be put down by the men she takes care of despite their physical intimidation. Rose is another strong woman that Viola can add to her extensive repertoire.

Widows (2018)

The last blockbuster that Viola starred in saw her take the lead as Veronica Rawlings in Steve McQueen’s fourth feature, Widows which follows four women who plot to carry out a heist after three of their husbands died in a botched job. Veronica is the group leader who draws together the plan using a notebook that her late husband, Harry (Liam Neeson) left in a safety deposit box. The other three women played by Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki and Cynthia Enviro and the four together have great characterisation and rapport. It’s a film built on the strength on its performers and Davis leads with ease. It’s refreshing to see such a strong action-based role which would traditionally be taken by a white male instead being portrayed by a black woman. The film is fearless and knows its strength. Veronica is one of the best female characters in recent years. She’s deeply complex as a grieving widow, a mother who’s son was wrongly murdered due to racism in authority and a woman who knows what she has to do to survive. She shields her fragility and fuels the operation with her persistence.

I am so excited to see where Viola’s career will go next. Even in films like Suicide Squad, she was a shining star to me. She’s an actress who is consistent, likeable and bankable. She is one of the key figures to pushing for more strong female characters in film and constantly talks about the importance of women in film.

What Viola Davis film is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below!