keyleedaud (REAL ESTATE)

Tomm Moore, director of the Oscar-nominated The Secret of Kells , is interviewed by Andrew O'Hehir at Salon.com . The interview delves into the historical roots of the film and talks a bit about how production was split up between studios. There's also an article in the N.Y. Times about Moore and the making of the film and A.O. Scott reviews the film for the Times . "Brendan’s busy adventures load the film with a bit too much narrative for its brief running time, but the sometimes hectic plot ultimately serves as scaffolding for Mr. Moore’s extraordinary visual brio. Using the vivid colors and delicate lineations of the Book of Kells for inspiration, he establishes a surprising and completely persuasive link between the ancient art of manuscript illumination and the modern practice of animation. Like the crystal lens that is a crucial element of Aidan’s craft — an enchanted eye that refracts and renews his, and then Brendan’s, perception — “The Secret of Kells...

Within the space of a week, I had the opportunity to see two of this year's animated features, The Secret of Kells and Mary and Max . The first is directed by Tomm Moore of the Irish studio Cartoon Saloon and the second is the work of Australian Adam Elliot. Both films were excellent, but for different reasons. Kells is one of the most beautifully art directed films I've ever seen. In some ways, its a feature that UPA should have made; it revels in flat design and is a riot of textures. It doesn't look like any feature that's been released to theatres in the recent past and stands out as a result. I was frankly surprised at how expressive the animation was given the design. Some of the animators worked with a completely graphic approach while others kept to the designs, but moved the characters dimensionally. In both cases, the designs hold up and the characters come to life for the audience. The Book of Kells is an actual illuminated manuscript of the gospels c...