A ten-year-old cartographer secretly leaves his family's ranch in Montana where he lives with his cowboy father and scientist mother and travels across the country aboard a freight train to receive an award at the Smithsonian Institute.
Spivet has the best use of 3D since Martin Scorsese’s pop-up moviebook Hugo, and uses many of the same team to make its images of snakes and freight trains pop.
Where the film may run aground is finding its audience. Too dark for little ’uns, too twee for teens, that only leaves adults.
For all it boasts in ingenious style, this genial American yarn lacks the delicious bile of Jenuet’s early days.
With more whimsy than a Wes Anderson wedding – and a clunky third act that potholes the plot – Jeunet’s American comeback is beautiful, heart-warming and a bit of a mess.
Probably doesn't require a second viewing, but charming and heartfelt all the same.
The two adjectives in the title should be replaced with "annoying" and "unendurably tiresome".
Jeunet's visual ingenuity has never been in doubt but his cartoonish approach to character and storytelling means that the film has far less emotional kick than might be expected.
Very whimsical but also sweetly endearing.
Innocence and intelligence animate this visually compelling film about a child genius.
TS Spivet, Jean-Pierre Jeunet and me: Reif Larsen on seeing his book filmed
Jean-Pierre Jeunet
General release. Check local listings for show times.
Edinburgh Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Friday July 11, 2014, until Thursday July 17, 2014. More info: www.filmhousecinema.com
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