Boy and the World
Boy and the World | |
---|---|
Directed by | Alê Abreu |
Written by | Alê Abreu |
Produced by | Tita Tessler Fernanda Carvalho |
Starring | Vinicius Garcia Felipe Zilse Alê Abreu Lu Horta Marco Aurélio Campos Cassius Romero |
Edited by | Alê Abreu |
Music by | Ruben Feffer Gustavo Kurlat |
Production company | Filme de Papel |
Distributed by | Espaço Filmes |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 80 minutes |
Country | Brazil |
Language | Portuguese (spoken backwards) |
Box office | $277,143[1] |
Boy and the World (
Plot
Cuca lives a very simple and blissful life with his parents. He spends his days playing in the forest, interacting with the animals, and listening to various sounds (represented by glowing balls of light). One day, Cuca's father leaves by train to find work, saddening Cuca with the nostalgia of playing with his mom and dad. Feeling that he will never be happy again, Cuca leaves with a large suitcase that contains only a picture of him and his parents. While waiting for the train, a sudden gust of wind lifts him up and carries him far away to a world that appears to have two moons.
Cuca is rescued by an old man and his pet dog, who promptly take him to work alongside them in the cotton fields. While there, Cuca hears the music of a traveling parade led by a young man in a rainbow poncho. The foreman of the cotton fields goes over his workers, and fires those who are unable due to advanced age or sickness. Cuca, the old man, and the dog travel many nights through the countryside before stopping under a large pink-leaved tree. In the distance, Cuca spots his father traveling on the back of a truck. He leaves the suitcase to the old man and follows the main road.
He arrives at a
While making their way back to the city, Cuca and the young man are stopped in traffic by the parade. Cuca suddenly spots the train his father came on and, using the young man's bike, arrives at the station to greet his father. However, Cuca is shocked to see multiple fathers who all look the same and all came to the city for a similar purpose. The parade is forcefully stopped by the city's army (represented by a giant, rainbow bird being defeated in combat by a militaristic black bird) and parts of the city lie in ruin. Cuca witnesses young children in the slums arming themselves with primitive weapons and preparing to start a rebellion. The young man looks on from a hill made of trash.
Cuca runs back home where he witnesses various machines taking over the countryside (inter-cut with live-action footage of deforestations and heavy carbon dioxide emissions). He arrives back at the pink-leaved tree where it is revealed that the old man is actually an older Cuca and that the tree is outside his now dilapidated childhood home. In a flashback, the young man, who is also Cuca, is seen leaving home and saying goodbye to his mother while seeing a pink-leaved sapling. Old Cuca pins the photo of him and his family to a wall and dons the rainbow poncho. He looks out and finds that his abandoned childhood home is surrounded by newer houses and farmers whose children continue to play and sing songs. The movie ends with one final flashback of Cuca and his parents planting the seed that will become the pink-leaved tree as the screen fades to white.
Cast
- Vinicius Garcia as Cuca (Menino)
- Felipe Zilse as Young Man (Jovem) / Additional voices
- Alê Abreu as Old Man (Velho)
- Lu Horta as Cuca's mother (Mãe)
- Marco Aurélio Campos as Cuca's father (Pai)
- Cassius Romero as Dog (Cachorro)
Reception
Boy and the World received critical acclaim. The film holds a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes with a 7.8/10 average rating based on 57 reviews. The consensus reads, "Boy and the World's distinctive animation is visually thrilling – and it's backed up with a daring, refreshingly different storyline that should enthrall younger viewers while resonating deeply with adults."[3] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 80/100 based on 18 critics."[4]
The film's worldwide premiere occurred at the
Cancelled television series
In 2016, it was announced that a spin-off series titled Menino and the Children of the World had entered development.[12] The educational series combines animation with live action footage and features the character of Cuca and his dog traveling to various countries of the world and learning about their culture through the eyes of children.[13] As of 2024, there is no planned release date or more news related to this project.
See also
References
- ^ "The Boy and the World - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. 6 October 2020.
- ^ Jurgens, Genista (13 September 2016). "The Brazilian Illustrator Who Sketched an Oscar-Nominated Feature Film". www.format.com.
- Fandango Media. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ "Monty Python Returns!" (PDF). Ottawa International Animation Festival. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 2, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
- ^ "Ottawa International Animation Festival 2013". Ottawa International Animation Festival. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
- Organizações Globo. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
- ^ "Filme brasileiro O Menino e o Mundo vence Grande Prémio Monstra". Público (in Portuguese). March 23, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
- ^ "'The Boy and the World' Wins Top Prize at Annecy Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. June 14, 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
- ^ "The Winners of the 25 Animafest Zagreb!". Animafest.hr. June 14, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
- ^ "ASIFA-Hollywood | Pixar's 'Inside Out' and 'Boy and the World' Win Top Prizes at Annie Awards". www.asifa-hollywood.org. 7 February 2016. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (10 June 2016). "Folivari, Winds & Cyber Group Announce 'Menino' Series". Animation Magazine.
- ^ "Menino and the Children of the World on Folivari".
External links
- Official website (in Portuguese)
- Boy and the World at IMDb