First Take: Isle Of Dogs- yes, it does sound like ‘I love dogs’

SYNOPSIS: Set in Japan, Isle of Dogs follows a boy’s odyssey
in search of his lost dog.

Oh how we’ve missed your style, Wes Anderson. When this film
was announced in 2015, I was studying Anderson’s work at college (most notably Moonrise Kingdom), so it’s safe to say
that my expectations were very high. I’m very happy to report that it delivered
alright, but this isn’t your run of the mill animated film- be prepared for a
very arthouse vibe, as well as some moments you wouldn’t find in any other film.

Animated in the same way as Anderson’s 2009 adaptation of
Fantastic Mr Fox, he once again makes a very good story come to life, and while
it may take a while to get going, fans of his older works will be happy to see
the same static camerawork, bright colour schemes, and daring use of the
language barrier to create narrative tension. But, let this be a warning- this
is a VERY contentious PG, as Anderson’s script does feature some scenes that will
require parents of younger audiences to read the extended BBFC information. Some of this
film is very graphic, so take the family with caution. It’s animated very well
indeed, and as is tradition, Alexandre Desplat brings the music of the film
together as only he can. Technically, I can’t find a fault to mention, especially coming in at a tight 1 hour 41 minutes.

As for the voice cast, it’s champagne casting once again. We’ve
got Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bob Balaban (a veteran Wes Anderson collaborator),
Bill Murray and Jeff Goldblum leading the dog performers alongside Scarlett
Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Yoko Ono, and hot off their awards season journey,
Frances McDormand and Greta Gerwig. This cast know what they’re doing, and
working on a unique film under the leadership of one of Hollywood’s more contemporary
‘auteurs’ (there’s one for the film students amongst us), you just know that this
film will be good.

THE VERDICT

This is an arthouse film that just happens to have a
saturation release, and as a result, Isle of Dogs feels refreshingly different.
Sure, not everyone will understand the film’s unique way of storytelling, but
for fans of Wes Anderson, alongside audiences who want an intelligent animated
drama, this film is the one to go for. The trailers do not do this film justice,
so go in with an open mind.

RATING: 5/5