At the end of August we received an email directing us to a series of teasers for Imagination, a mixed live action and animation project from Jeffrey and Eric Leiser. In process for three years with iconic animator Jan Svankmajer serving as an informal mentor for the duo some of the imagery contained in those teasers was simply jaw dropping. One month later I have a screener copy of the film in my hands and while there are some significant inconsistencies in the film there is no denying the sheer force and scope of the duo's own imagination.
The film revolves around twin girls, Anna and Sarah. The twins are are plagued by visions their mother feels may be prophetic and seem barely tethered to this world at all; their doctor believes that they may have Asperger's Syndrome, a condition related to autism in the way that it affects the ways the mind accepts and processes tactile information. In the doctor's words, Asperger's children are exceptionally involved with their own imaginations. As the film progresses we dive deeper and deeper into that imagination, one that - it becomes increasingly clear - is shared between the two girls.
In many ways Imagination feels like two films in one. There are the live action sequences set in the real world with parents and doctor trying to work out was is happening to the two young girls. Then there are the dreams and visions, the output of the girls active imagination - the over riding question being whether these sequences are pure fantasy or somehow as real as what the rest of the world accepts as being real. The live action sequences drag at the picture somewhat, hampered by an overly raw shooting style and the use of what seems to be an entirely non-professional cast. The coarseness of these sequences wouldn't necessarily be an issue - and I believe that is was likely a deliberate stylistic choice to do the live action this way - except that it seems remarkably out of step with the technical dazzle of the animation.
Make no mistake about it: Eric Leiser is a master animator. Imagination brings together a huge array of hand crafted, analog animation techniques. There is line drawing, puppet work and stop motion all in constant use, each technique used to capture distinct moods and tones, each effectively bolstering the other. The imagery is stunning and flawlessly executed, the film reminding that there is a tactile force to stop motion and other hand crafted animation techniques that is almost entirely lacking in CGI. The Svankmajer influence is obvious but Leiser has a style and palette distinctly his own and a talent that demands to be recognized.
The tonal shifts will limit this one somewhat, as will the hour long run time that renders Imagination too long to run as a short but too short to run as a full feature, but it certainly marks Leiser as a talent to watch.
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