POEman553’s review published on Letterboxd:
This review may contain spoilers.
One of the most perfect movies I’ve seen in quite awhile. This movie is pure Steven Spielberg - it made me feel how I felt as a kid when I saw E.T. for the first time. That's very rare company to do that. That's pure filmmaking magic from a talented director like Chris Sanders. He studied the classics in animation and this is his thesis, his marker on the map, his flag on the peak.
I cried almost throughout the movie. The only time this ever happened to me was when I saw E.T. (again) this summer. Every scene, line of dialogue, and music was perfect. If you can’t watch the scene where Brightbill (Kit Carson) learns to fly with Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) teaching him with a magical song from Maren Morris without crying, check your pulse.
The story of the movie speaks of the neurodivergent finding those that understand them. Roz and Brightbill aren’t understood. Roz is called a 'monster.' Brightbill is laughed by other geese for acting like Roz when he greets geese. But Roz & Brightbill have each other. Both characters learn from each other and yearn for the return of each other's company. Roz sees Brightbill as her child and Brightbill sees Roz as his mom.
It’s a beautiful ode to diversity and a community becoming a family. Pedro Pascal’s speech to the group gathered in Roz's home was Roz absolutely powerful.
There's loads of standout scenes. For me, the one that had a quiet impact was when Brightbill landed in Wall-E like domed world and saw a robot's leg, thinking it was Roz. You knew the danger Brightbill was in but felt powerless as he walked up to the robot calling out Roz's name.
Another one is Roz watching the geese return from the migration during the winter and seeing Brightbill getting tossed in celebration into the air. Quietly, she leaves.
Some of my favorite lines:
“Remember there’s nothing he can do that you can’t.”
“Fly like you. Not like them.”
“How do you know if you love someone?” “You should probably tell them.” “What if it’s too late?”
Run, don’t walk to see this. One of the best movies this year. It's a filmmaking masterpiece. It feels like what Pixar used to be able to do. It feels like what Disney used to be able to do. It might be better than The Substance. This will be this generation’s Toy Story.
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