Wolfwalkers

Movie: Wolfwalkers
Nominated for: Animated Feature Film
How I watched: Apple TV
When I fell asleep: I started to nod and had to get some tea.
When it had me: Wild girls in a forest!
When it lost me: It did not
What I have to say:  

This was such a delightful surprise! An Irish tale of magic and family and choosing understanding over fear. I recently traced one branch of my family tree back to Ireland in the 1700s and this movie took place in 1650 Ireland, so I assume my ancestors were in there somewhere. I like to think we were depicted by one random lady who had an operatic quality to her panicked, "Oh my god!" screaming.

The animation style in this film was so beautiful! It reminded me of a very special storybook that you would treasure and read over and over again. There were lost of times that the kids or I gasped with awe over the visuals alone (when we exclaim, it probably has an operatic quality.)

The magic of the forest was so rich and inviting. The comparison of the grim, repressed and orderly town versus* the wild, unruly and free woodlands was inspiring. The tale of friendship was sweet and heartfelt. By the end, we were all sitting on the edge of our seats and felt like this is a very strong contender for the award.

* versus - I still say versus. Has anyone else noticed that it is commonly "abbreviated" to verse now? I began hearing it a few years ago and thought it demonstrated how dumb the user was but now it seems about 50/50 on sports channels. I fear the official evolution is near and the dictionaries will incorporate it and make it newly acceptable as correct speech. Language is ever-evolving, I get it. But this one makes me cringe.