Le Tableau 2011

“With swirls of vibrant color that burst from the screen, and nearly every frame a breathtaking wonder, Le Tableau is a captivating, enormously enjoyable animated treat for both children and adults. In this wryly inventive parable, a kingdom is divided into three castes: the impeccably painted Alldunns who reside in a majestic palace; the Halfies who the Painter has left incomplete; and the untouchable Sketchies, simple charcoal outlines who are banished to the cursed forest. Chastised for her forbidden love for Ramo, an Alldunn, and shamed by her unadorned face, Halfie Claire runs away into the forest.

Her beloved Ramo and best friend Lola journey after her, passing between the forbidden Death Flowers that guard the boundaries of the forest (in one of the film’s most radiantly gorgeous scenes), and arriving finally at the very edge of the painting – where they tumble through the canvas and into the Painter’s studio. The abandoned workspace is strewn with paintings, each containing its own animated world. In a feast for both the eyes and imagination, they explore first one picture and then another, attempting to discover just what the Painter has in mind for all his creations.” — New York International Children’s Film Festival

“Each painting is rendered in its own unique style, going back to the work of Matisse, Pierre Bonnard and André Derain, with Laguionie playing throughout with depth (often created using overlapping surfaces instead of light). Vivid colors, often applied with visible brushstrokes, and inventive decors are a constant feast for the eyes, with a Venice-set carnival sequence especially noteworthy.” — Boyd van Hoeij, Variety

PROUDLY PRESENTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH SQUARE EYES