Head Over Heels (2012) User Reviews

A short that tells a story, and delivers feeling

[rgcustomer · 8/10 · 10 February 2013]

I won't say much about the details of the short, because it should be seen fresh.

But without giving too much away, the story is an inventive exploration of the relationship between a husband and wife who have grown apart.

This short does what it should do, which is tell a story that isn't boring. And it does it far better than the other Oscar-nominated animated shorts this year. It's no contest.

Although it's a different style, if you liked Pete Docter's Up from 2009, you'll like this. The setting is similarly absurd, floating (sort of) is involved, and it's about long love.

It's an interesting concept as well as quirky and humorous at times.

[Hellmant · 7/10 · 6 February 2013]

'HEAD OVER HEELS': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

2012 Oscar nominated Animated short film about a married couple who's grown so far apart, through disagreement, that she lives on the ceiling and he lives on the floor. When the husband, Walter (Nigel Anthony), tries to fix things and reinvigorate his romance with his wife, Madge (Rayyah McCaul), their flying home comes crashing down (as well as their equilibrium). The 11 minute short was written and directed by Timothy Reckart. It's an interesting concept as well as quirky and humorous at times. Of course it's also ultimately heart warming. Not a great animated short but a good one.

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The bonds of marital affection

[ypandalove · 8/10 · 7 July 2017]

This story is that an elderly couple restore the bonds of marital affection. The setting of this film is a little strange, because the couple lives upside down in a house. We can't know the reason why they live like that. The husband walks on the floor and his wife walks on the ceiling. Their house flies in the air and it goes up and down by turns. At the beginning, the couple quarrel about trifles. Their life quite looks inconvenient and it irritates them. One day the husband finds old shoes which his wife worn on their wedding day. He tries to mend and give to her. A good point of this film is how the couple reconcile and how they deepen their ties in a strange situation. I think this film shows us the importance of love and the weight of our connection whatever the circumstances.

lovely

[Kirpianuscus · 24 February 2018]

A lovely short film about couple life. the husband. the wife. a house. and many shoes. its realism, sweet, nice, bitter and amusing in same measure, represents the lead virtue. not for great clay animation. but for a story familiar for a large public. a film about ordinary everyy day life. and a parable. interesting for the emotions. for the levels of a long life together. for the forms of delicacy. and for a kind of...spell. short, a clear "must see".

A reconciliation

[yh8585 · 10/10 · 9 August 2017]

The reason why the man and his wife are living apart in the same house is still in mystery, but this set-up is very interesting. Through their living space is split into s floor and a ceiling, they are able to see and talk to each other when they look up. I like the scene that the wife having vacuum- cleaned the ceiling treats the man as a nuisance. It seems that their living is going smoothly because they don't interfere with each other, at least officially.

One day, they have a quarrel because of shoes. However,they make up, thanks to the shoes finally. I was moved that the man and his wife embraced each other tightly against the gravitation. the family ties never break off even if there are the gravitation barrier or they are a couple with nothing to say to each other.

Make the slang visible

[bachispicaqtmz · 10/10 · 6 July 2017]

At first I could not understand their circumstances, the man is being tugged to the sky and his lifestyle is upside sown for some reason or other. Though there are no explanation about explanation about it, I know he would fly through the air like a balloon if he does not use the wheelchair. Their strange way of life attracted me and made me want to know how this movie would end. The interior of the house is unique. For example, the woman finishes using the refrigerator, she moves it to the ceiling by her foot. And the man can use it. There are two kitchens. It is funny that their fried egg are exchanged by tossing them over. This is the one of important scenes that the audience can notice this two's living is very odd. The woman can move in the house and use the furniture as usual as you can. However, the man could not so, so he is riding on the wheelchair that is connected to the ceiling. I thought they are on bad terms with each other at the beginning because they do not have a conversation and never meet their eyes. But I could find they love each other by the scene that they are eager to correct the photo of their marriage again and again. Keeping the photo proves that they are not on the bad terms but they are not able to communicate with each other well. The title of this movie has double meanings. The first is the slang for great love. And the second meaning is literal. This movie embodies the phrase "head over heels". I was very touched by the last scene. I wish they can live happily after that.

Amazing!

[rika-31302 · 7/10 · 7 August 2017]

This story is amazing. Not only its plot or scenario but also the depictions are fantastic even though my eyes are sometimes dazzled because I am confused about which is the real floor and ceiling.

How an old woman and an old man interact with the house as opposed to each other definitely attracts us. I like the change of their relationship, especially, because it was very emotionally deep and thought-provoking.

I've never seen such a strange and wonderful animation style. It breaks the original animation technique!

I hadn't been able to understand what the title means until the end of the story. I really respect the filmmaker's creativity.

Memorial items make people link their bonds!

[hirotohirotogackt · 9/10 · 5 July 2017]

This film is apparently a little strange because a old couple lives together but they exist in different grounds. One is in the ceiling, the other is in the floor from one sight. It is hard to imagine that situation. Why are they under the condition? I think that it shows gap between the old man and woman is built. It seems that they are at each other's throats because they do not talk with each other and they try to set the picture on the part of themselves. However what is came out in the picture is their marriage and they smile and look happy. That is to say, both still love each other somehow. Then the old man makes the point to make up and finally be reconciled. As the married life lasts long, I think it is natural that a gulf emerges between couple, but the memorial items remind them of what is really important. This short movie just tells the audience it.

This movie is about an elderly couple. They quarrel over trifles, but they are reconciled because they understand their feeling.

[izmsyoko · 6/10 · 10 August 2017]

This movie's setting is fun. I enjoys this movie while being concerned about the ending. This movie is silent, but this movie appeals to me for feeling and many things. It is good to adopt things which often occurs. I sympathize with it. I can know that movies without dialogue make people moved. Perhaps, visual gives people key message. We can watch movies with bathed breath and feel various things by not using dialogue. I feel relaxed to watch this movie.

true love

[railsskymt-k · 10/10 · 7 August 2017]

This movie is about an elderly couple who live separate lives at home. The wife lives on the floor normally, while the husband lives on the ceiling with going against gravity. The husband tries to repair the relationship with his wife, but she refuses it. However, I can understand they love each other and sympathize with each other by three scenes. The first scene is that they correct the picture which is taken in their wedding to be able to see it from their right view without being upside down. The second scene is that the husband worries about and finds his wife who leaves from their home. The third scene is that the wife finds the shoes which her husband fixes to repair their relationship, and the wife were the shoes on their wedding day. After that, the wife tries to have a reconciliation with her husband. I was very touched and impressed with these three scenes, and this movie shows their true love. I like this movie, especially the last scene, because it shows me their love and sympathy with each other. It is very amazing since there is no dialogue, but I van understand them with their face and action. I cannot watch this movie without tears.

Solid from start to finish

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 9 July 2015]

"Head over Heels" is a perfect example of a short film that is basically good in terms of aspect, but great not really. It is director Timothy Reckart's third work as writer and director and managed an Academy Award nomination, but lost to the wonderful "Paperman". "Head over Heels" deals with an elderly couple whose relationship has cooled down to the extent that basically each of the two are living still at the same house, but also in their own world somehow. The director used gravity to display this. The woman walks on one layer, the man on completely another. It is all upside down. However, during these 10 minutes, the two manage to grow closer again. Sadly, it's quite a challenge to overcome that huge obstacle which became bigger and bigger in the last years. Still, their will and creativity helps them to solve the issue at the end and the two are re-united again. It's a sweet little happy ending, which is probably also the best part of the film. I liked this one, even if the animation style is not really my favorite. Good to see it got some recognition at the Oscars and I hope Reckart can build a career out of that and maybe direct a feature film at some point. I recommend "Head over Heels".

Excellent short about a couple who have literally moved in opposite directions

[llltdesq · 10/10 · 20 February 2014]

This short was nominated for an Academy Award for Animated Short. There will be spoilers:

This short is about a husband and wife who have different orientations, one living on the ceiling and the other on the floor in a house which is cast adrift and changing its own orientation as it floats.

The man and woman have grown apart and indifferent to one another as they literally have no common grounds upon which to relate to one another. The husband attempts a reconciliation by restoring a memento of their shared past, only to be rebuffed.

The house comes down and crashes onto a planet, landing on its foundation and thereby establishing a permanent up and down orientation, but the husband continues to float and remains on the ceiling. The wife goes out to explore, but the husband is unable to join her and is stuck in the house in order to avoid floating away. The wife spends some time thinking, comes across her husband's gesture, which she unthinkingly rejected and comes up with a solution permitting them to live life on the same "footing", so to speak.

The ending of the short is sweet and funny and the short is well worth watching. It can be seen online. Most highly recommended.

Nice ending

[foodie03 · 7/10 · 26 July 2017]

This is a warm-hearted story. A wife and a husband live upside down in the strange house which is flying in the sky. Living separately in the floor and on the ceiling is a great idea because they don't see each other face to face though they live in the same house. I wonder how this house is constructed and flies and why the filmmaker wants to make this film. This film has no dialogue, but it is easy to understand visually. My favorite scene is the ending because I found it interesting that a wife attaches some shoes on the ceiling to see her husband. In this film, a ballet shoes is a key to make a bond with them.

Upside down...

[maoenjoyhappy · 4/10 · 5 July 2017]

An old loveless married couple lives in a same house separately upside down. One day, by accident he finds a pair of worn out ballet shoes of his wife which remind him of their shining marriage days. Then, he makes a decision to repair them and though he tries to give them to her, he misses the opportunity. However, she finds the repaired shoes…

Seemingly this old couple's relationship is an awkward tension. But in my opinion, on close inspection, they constantly care about each other somewhere in their heart because they have a wedding ring in a middle finger and have a fight over whether their marriage photo should be straightened up in which way. These things would not happen if they didn't love at each other.

At first, soon after watching this film, I slightly felt dizzy since everything is upside down. But, the end of this film is incredibly touching and the strange dizziness will be blown away completely.

Heart-warming story

[seizetheday-62572 · 8/10 · 2 August 2017]

First, this movie seemed a sad story, but finally I found it was a heart-warming story. Somehow, the old couple lives in an upside-down house, that is to say the wife lives on the floor, and the husband lives on the ceiling. It shows their minds. Their minds crossed each other because they lived together for many years. But he tried to make their relationship restart, but failed. Then she noticed his thoughts. I think this story is very common in drama or movie. However, this is different from others in some ways. First, the setting is different. As I said, they live in different space. This is a very interesting point. Second, there is no dialog. Non dialog movie must describe their feeling by the sight. This is very difficult way, but this movie succeed in it. I also like her way of approaching him. It is true that there is only that way, but I was so moved.

sad and moved film

[okk07 · 10/10 · 7 August 2017]

I think that in this film there are interesting points. First, in this film, not picture but dolls are used and I felt warmth. In spite of dolls, feelings are expressed greatly and I can get into this film. I think that because of dolls, we can understand a view of the world of this film. Second, there is no dialogue in this film, so I thought this film makes us think many things, for example,how situation do they have, what do they talk and so on, Also, I think it seems to be difficult to make a film without dialogue, but I wonder that we can give people more impression. Third, I think that a picture and ballet shoes are important because a husband and wife become to change through picture and ballet shoes. I wonder that important things change people even if they are is not good situation. I was impressed by this movie.

They've Grown Apart

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 27 July 2019]

Time plays tricks on people. This is about a couple who have literally grown apart (or metaphorically). Gravity affects each of them in different directions and so their ives are their own, even though they ilve in the same general space. But an act of kindness is finally noticed and it gives one of them an opportunity to reconcile. Beautiful story with a loving ending.

family bond

[coldplayer-57213 · 9/10 · 14 July 2017]

This is a short movie. This movie is described as animated films. The main characters are a husband and wife. They live in the same house, but one lives on the floor and the other lives on the ceiling while changing the position of up and down. At first they are indifferent to each daily life because of losing love. However, they change my mind toward family relationship through momento. I believe that this movie stand for contemporary Japan society. So, If you strongly want to feel family bond, you should watch this movie.