The Moon Followed Me to Falmouth
Critic:
Jason Knight
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Posted on:
Mar 26, 2023
Directed by:
Joel Gibbs
Written by:
Kurt Rosenberg
Starring:
Will Keating
A short animated film about a man who remembers the time when he traveled to a far away land where he found and lost love.
The story of this beautiful and moving tale begins at a coastal village, a long time ago, where a young man decides to embark on a long journey, sailing through the oceans in a large ship. The ship eventually reaches a tropical place, where the hero meets a young woman and the two of them fall in love. Sadly, their romance does not last.
With a duration of approximately four minutes, this short tells a period story about adventure, romance and nostalgia. The narrative is structured in a way that the past alternates with the present, switching between scenes of the hero in his current age walking the seaside village, talking to people inside a tavern, with scenes of his younger self embarking on his big venture.
The film is an absolute delight to watch, thanks to the wonderful animation that includes cel animation and watercolor animation. The mise-en-scene effectively brings the viewer back to another time, with friendly-looking characters, ships and fabulous landscapes that include the hero's village and a tropical place with homes made out of natural materials. All these, along with the sky and ocean were created with terrific colouring and lighting effects.
The audio is also an absolute delight to listen to, with the title song playing from the beginning until the end, narrating the story. The song is magnificent due to Will Keating's vocals and sublime violin, flute and drum melodies. Apart from Keating's voice, there are no spoken words or even sound effects, with the exception of the sounds of waves.
Based on the original song of the same name by Kurt Rosenberg, this short is a highly-recommended viewing. Marvellous animation is combined with delightful music and an intriguing and emotional story and the result is a rather memorable experience and huge commendations go to everyone who worked on it.