Reveries of a Solitary Walker is the name of this Italian movie(although the DVD box has "stroller" instead of "walker") and also the name of a book by Jean Jacques Rousseau. The 18th century French author and philosopher is, as well, one of the 3 main characters in the film. The other 2 are a young man and his girlfriend who live in the present as opposed to Rousseau. Despite the presence of stop motion(a la Gumby) sequences, this is not a story for children. The rating might be R, due to profanity(mostly in the 1st half) and the macabre story line. The 3 main characters in parallel narratives are continually fighting their own personal demons. The animates scenes enhance the story. A "dangerous book" motif threads it's way through the plot. Technically very well done, with the animation a big draw! Acting is superb and the characters are well defined. An offbeat tale for sure and one which could be used in a film study class. Would make a good double feature with Bartleby(1970)! A quote from the character Jean is a good summation, "As if all together was mixed up." Influenced, no doubt, by the works of Poe and the novel, Alice in Wonderland. Introspection is key. Family comes into play, and there is a demon animated character. A good DVD to watch multiple times. Look closely for the many mini horror film posters on the walls! The subtitles are below frame in such a manner that was is forced to watch it in ?2.75:1.
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