‘Flow’ surpasses all expectations

Ben Hurney / THE GATEPOS

By Owen Glancy Arts & Features Editor “Flow” surprised the film community in March when it took home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature over “The Wild Robot,” a big budget DreamWorks film that received tons of critical praise. In comparison to DreamWorks’ film, “Flow” is much smaller. It was made by an independent film studio from Latvia and tells a wordless story about a cat attempting to survive after its home is lost in a gigantic flood. Compared to the epic nature of “The Wild Robot's” story and the amount of money and marketing that went into that film, no one expected much from the little guy. However, the few people who had seen “Flow” when it was released in November knew this Oscar was almost guaranteed. As mentioned earlier, “Flow's” story is told entirely without dialogue. While many movies would surely have the animals in the story speak, this film's insistence on that level of realism and quietness is what makes it shine. The seemingly countless moments of beautiful, breathtaking animation combine effortlessly with the impeccable soundtrack to elevate the hard-hitting emotional moments of the film's story. By taking away the option for the animals to speak, it really hammers home both these creatures' innocence and their nature as animals. Deep down, every character is extremely selfish. Even in the moments of generosity, there's this underlying feeling that the animal being kind is only doing so for its own benefit. This fundamental understanding of not just the nature of wild animals, but of the world itself is incredibly refreshing. The world of “Flow” is also one worth getting lost in. As the central cat and the rag-tag group of animals that accompany it sail through their flooded homes, we see glimpses of former human society. Towering buildings poke out above the water's surface, glass bottles and trinkets float past the boat as they're stopped by tree branches, and statues loom ominously overhead as their shadows envelope the boat in darkness. This is a fully lived-in and realized place, or at least it was in the distant past, long before the events of this film. “Flow” is not the biggest animated film of last year, it's not the most action-packed animated film of last year, and it isn't even the best animated film of last year, but it is by far the most unique. By establishing its target audience as people who want to watch artistically brazen, mature, and worthwhile cinema in a landscape where films made for the sake of art are getting fewer and fewer, “Flow” becomes a saving grace and a more than worthwhile way to spend an hour and a half. Rating: A Truly transcendent cinema