An interesting mix of fiction and reality to tell the story of a man wanting to remember his repressed memories of the 1982 Lebanon War. The animation here is unlike anything I've seen before and I was impressed with the amount of detail in every scene. Also, I liked that the score is quite diverse, ranging from edgy rock songs to classical music, always matching each situation properly. There are a few sequences I felt that were a bit redundant and repetitive, but nothing that really took me out of the film. The last moments are truly devastating and moving, making you feel outraged by the horrors of war. Definitely recommended!

30 Countries Challenge // #13 - Israel

Once I got through the first 5 minutes and stopped my brain telling me how much the animation reminded me of Archer, I became utterly gripped by this film. The animation is absolutely spot on - just surreal enough to make everything vibrant and interesting but not too silly to ruin the telling of a harrowing and horrible story. The dialogue seems so natural it's hard to tell if it really is recorded documentary-style or very well written by director Ari Folman. I can't imagine there are too many people in the Western world who are that clued up on the events covered by the film, so not only is it superbly written and animated, it also manages to be interesting and educational at the same time. Highly recommended.

The ending made me tear up, and that's no small feat. Very powerful, very striking, and visually incredible. I've never seen another documentary like it. I very much recommend it to anyone who can stomach it and especially to anyone who loves stylish, artistic visuals.

The last year a learned a lot about the situation and war in the middle-east and I think you need this knowledge to follow and understand this movie/documentary.

It's truly a shocking masterpiece from Ari Folman and it's hard to believe that this tragedy really happend and that in times of war so many innocents have to die, for nothing.

I enjoyed the animation, music and story-telling. Although I felt a little bit sick at the end.

Interesting style, but rather dull film-making.

Giving this one the benefit of the doubt, somewhat. Saw it this afternoon while my brain was filled with distractions. But the film was damn impressive anyway. Quite stunning and inventive, both visually and in terms of its narrative devices. Reminded me of Tarkovsky a few times, actually. The ending is my only real qualm, and even that I rather admire. It’s horrifying stuff and I’m not sure how you follow something that powerful… but I know I was feeling the need for some kind of return to the narrative, something to grant a sense of completion to the piece. I don’t know. I respect the way they went… but it didn’t feel exactly right to me. Similar in its construction to the final scene of TASTE OF CHERRY, but that does feel right to me. Not sure why the disparity.

When I saw this the first time I was pretty distracted, so I wanted to get back to it again. I was right – it’s a pretty amazing film. I don’t know that there isn’t a distance created by the animation for me. I was much more focused this time through, but still found my mind wandering occasionally. That said, it’s a remarkable work. Powerful, considered, well-realized and damned entertaining. The ending, which still hits you in the face, didn’t seem too abrupt for me the way it did last time. Very impressed. (The likely winner of the Oscar for Foreign Film, but I hope the score (which really knocked me out both times) also gets some attention.)

Es, en muchos aspectos, uno de los momentos cumbre de un género que ha ido emergiendo en los márgenes del cine en los últimos años: el documental animado. Y una de las mejores películas contra el horror de la guerra realizada en las últimas décadas.

It is, in many respects, one of the highlights of a genre that has emerged in the margins of mainstream cinema in recent years: the animated documentary. And one of the best films about the horror of war made in the last decades.

Been wanting to see this for a long time. Didn't quite emotionally connect with me like I hoped it would, but the story, the animation, and the stories told within are mesmerizing. A one-of-a-kind documentary slash drama that raises many questions about war and guilt. Many scenes are breathtaking, including the nightmares, and the "waltz."

I could not connect with this, I have a really big issue with documentaries that combine fiction and non fiction, I get too distracted trying to find that line and in the process I miss the forest for the trees. The visuals are great, but I just didn't really feel any of it.