On the day that this review is being written, Paris-based filmmaker Ugo Bienvenu received thrilling news. His movie, “Arco” (Neon), was nominated in the best Animated Feature Film category for the 98th Academy Awards, to be broadcast on March 15. Not a bad achievement for Bienvenu’s debut feature-length film.
Set at two different points in the future (2932 and 2075, respectively), titular character Arco (voiced by Juliano Valdi) is a 10-year-old boy who lives with his sister Ada (voiced by Zoya Bogomolova) and parents (voiced by America Ferrera and Roeg Sutherland) in a house on a platform high above the clouds. This is due to The Great Fallow, when the seas rose, and people moved to higher ground to “let the earth rest.” However, it’s not uncommon for those of age (12 and up) to travel to the past using rainbow cloaks and jeweled headpieces.
Frustrated by being stuck at home, Arco “borrows” Ada’s flying gear and takes off. Not knowing what he’s doing, Arco crashes to earth in 2075. There he meets 10-year-old Iris (Romy Fay). She lives with her workaholic parental holograms (voiced by Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo), her baby brother Peter, and her nanny-bot Mikki (voiced by a combination of Portman and Ruffalo).
The pair of pre-teens strike up a friendship. They also attract the attention of a trio of bumbling brothers: Dougie (voiced by Will Farrell), Stewie (voiced by Andy Samberg), and Frankie (voiced by Flea), who have been fascinated by the rainbow-trailing travelers since on landed on Earth several years before.
As it turns out, both Arco and Iris have an interest in leaving the year 2075. Iris is troubled by the deadly storms from which people are shielded by protective bubbles that cover their homes. Additionally, raging wildfires threaten the very future of life on the planet. Arco simply wants to return to his family but is unable to do so until he finds the gem that fell off his headpiece when he crash-landed. However, during the time they do spend together, they form an unbreakable bond.
Aside from the powerful climate change commentary (storms and wildfires), it’s impossible to miss the queerness of “Arco.” In addition to all the rainbows (so many rainbows!), and the goodness they represent, the scenes in which Iris dresses Arco in her clothes while his are being laundered benefit from the subtle coding that might be lost on non-queer viewers.
Visually, “Arco” owes more to Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli than it does to Disney or DreamWorks Animation. That’s significant in a year in which Disney regained its tarnished crown after a string of poorly received and forgettable movies including “Lightyear,” “Wish,” and “Strange World.” It indicates that there is always room for new creators of animation.
Rating: B+
