Ballerina (Leap!)

I am grateful for this film because it illustrates how the priorities of the filmmakers can affect their product. When I saw the trailer for "Ballerina", I knew that the full movie contained a special story. I also wanted to see this film to support Canadian cinema. L'Atelier Animation is based in Montreal, a city known for animation. The filmmakers there are obviously new to feature length computer animation and I don't think anyone who sees this film will doubt that statement. The story of "Ballerina" teaches however that just because you are new doesn't mean you don't have what it takes to succeed. What stood out to me the most while watching this movie was the story and the overall look. Thankfully, I can attribute every flaw in this movie to the fact that this is L'Atelier's first film.

Most people who read my observations on certain movies know that I value the story over the visual aspects of a movie. I also would like to make it clear that I think visual aspects are important in filmmaking. Every part of a movie has some importance but all these elements must serve to the story in order for the film to have the best chance at achieving something. In the case of "Ballerina", I was really impressed by the high quality look the final look of the movie considering that this is not a big studio production. I could tell from the first viewing of the trailer that this film was putting Assemblage Entertainment to even more shame. There was no fault that I could see in final rendered images. There was detail and lighting that provided the same illusion of realism that bigger studios can achieve. The dance choreography in "Ballerina" is supplied by two dancers from the real Paris Opera Ballet. Aurelie Dupont and Jeremie Belingard even encouraged the animators to not just replicate their choreography but perfect it. The dance moves you see in this show are accomplished through key frame animation. The character animation and performances shined at some moments in the film but lacked sophistication at other times. The times where the acting of the animated characters could have been better were the dramatic moments of the story unfortunately. Speaking of the story, while it is very inspirational and moving, the plot had pacing problems because some important scenes were rushed through. The opening of the film for example could have been a little longer so that we could get to know the two main characters a little more intimately before their arrival in Paris. The climatic battle also felt out of place even though we get resolution concerning Madame Le Haut. I did appreciate what happens with Camille towards the end of the film.

There were two names involved in the making of "Ballerina" that I was familiar with before seeing the movie: composer Klaus Badelt and actress Elle Fanning. The vocal performance from Fanning contributed to Felicie's ability to inspire the audience so this was a good casting choice. Another great character was Merante. He may be intimidating and strict but unlike Madame Le Haut, deep down, he has a heart. The character that provided the most noticeable blemish was Victor and this was a casting flaw. The actor simply sounded older than his character's design. Many other studios, including famous ones, have the same amount and/or same kind of flaws in their films as "Ballerina". Those other films tend to fail or fall short of expectations so what makes "Ballerina" different? I believe the answer is that Felicie is symbolic of her own movie. We have a movie and its protagonist, both of which don't look very special on the outside and are rough around the edges but exude a very potent inner passion. The spirit of the show allows the audience to forgive the flaws that we see. Any film containing a leading character with hopes and dreams, when done right, can succeed. I saw kids younger than five years old dancing out of the theater. When you see this film with the knowledge that this is the studio's first venture into feature filmmaking, you are more impressed with the appearance and story than you are bothered by some of the mistakes. "Ballerina" is soon to be released in the U.S. and with distribution being handled by the Weinstein Company, their reputation will hopefully bring additional success in the States. I pray that L'Atelier Animation will be able to make more films. I saw potential throughout the film.

3.5 out of 5 Stars