-Written by Kyle Bain.
The end of her pregnancy is near, and all seems to be going according to plan in Itto’s (Oumaima Barid) life until something extraordinary happens. When a supernatural phenomenon occurs, Itto is separated from her family, from the father of her unborn child–and she is forced to find her way to them. Animalia explores humanity, and the lengths that people are willing to go in order to deal with the darkest and most harrowing of times.
Drama is often enough to carry a film, often enough to engage viewers without any extraneous or extenuating circumstances. Animalia is no different, as it tells a compelling story that is sure to resonate with viewers around the world. Now, when I heard the word “supernatural” in the description of the film, however, I worried that Animalia would be too far-fetched, extend itself too far to be able to appeal to viewers from start to finish. With that said, however, Animalia remains grounded throughout, as Itto is faced with a series of typical (albeit extreme) scenarios that resonated with me. With the film remaining so grounded throughout, viewers are allowed access to it early and often–and that allows the film to flourish throughout.
Animalia is almost entirely in Arabic, with a couple of other languages thrown in that I don’t understand. Naturally when this occurs, viewers that don’t communicate using those aforementioned languages experience a language barrier–and that certainly occurs here as well. However, it’s not to the degree that one might expect. To some extent this is both a good thing and a bad thing. Let’s start with the bad. The dialogue present in Animalia isn’t all that important. I didn’t find myself ever floored by the dialogue that Writers Sofia Alaoui, Laurie Bost, and Raphaëlle Desplechin developed for this film. However, in the same vein, that meant that I could focus on the story. I wasn’t forced to read the subtitles and try to develop a connection with the characters or the narrative in this way.
Directly related to that is the acting–particularly that of Barid. She bridges the gap between me and the narrative with great aplomb, with expertise. I was floored by her performance, as she’s really the only character that exists from start to finish. She carries the narrative on her shoulders and she continues to allow viewers to connect with the content present in Animalia. This isn’t to say that the dialogue is unimportant, but it’s almost…maybe not necessary in the grand scheme of the film. While this may seem like a shot at the development of dialogue, the fact of the matter is that it’s a testament to the wonderful development of the rest of Animalia.
Again, I was worried when I heard that there would be a supernatural element present in Animalia, because that can sometimes detract from the intended drama. However, Director Alaoui does a spectacular job of ensuring that this is woven into the film organically and that everything works together effectively. Animalia is honestly a surprise; it’s far better than I could have imagined. It’s a well-structured, well-paced product that keeps you involved from start to finish.
Directed by Sofia Alaoui.
Written by Sofia Alaoui, Laurie Bost, Raphaёlle Desplechin.
Starring Oumaima Barid, Mehdi Dehbi, Fouad Oughaou, Souad Khouyi, Rajaa Essaaidi, etc.
8/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING
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