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From Amazon.co.uk
Style trumps substance in Renaissance, a 2006 French film whose breathtaking visuals largely overcome its shortcomings in the areas of story and character development. Detailed in a lengthy and absorbing "making of" featurette, the film's look is a combination of CG animation, motion capture, and a palette consisting solely of black & white (there are a few splashes of color late in the proceedings, but no gray whatsoever). And while it has a few obvious antecedents (the filmmakers readily acknowledge the influence of Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, not to mention the much earlier, Expressionist work of Fritz Lang and Orson Welles), Renaissance, with its commingling of heavily processed live action and graphic novel sensibilities, looks very little like anything you've ever seen before. The setting is Paris in the year 2054, and it is here that director Christian Volckman and his crew do their best work.
The French capital is certainly recognisable (the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre's Sacre Coeur are two familiar landmarks), but its classic architecture is glazed with all manner of futuristic touches, from vast glass penthouses to layers of transparent walkways outside Notre Dame Cathedral; and with the preponderance of the action taking place at night, frequently in the rain, the City of Light more often suggests a very literal representation of film noir. As for the story, it's nothing special. Hard-nosed police Captain Barthélémy Karas (voiced in this English version by Daniel Craig) is searching for a female scientist who works for Avalon, one of those sinister mega-corporations that seem to run everything in movies like this; seems the woman, who has been kidnapped, possesses what's referred to as "the protocol for immortality," and Avalon, which promises good health, beauty, and long life for all, desperately wants her back. The characters are a bit stiff (physically and otherwise), the dialogue is occasionally stilted, and the film is sometimes so dark that it's hard to tell what's going on. But most of Renaissance looks so amazing that such deficiencies can easily be ignored, at least the first time through. --Sam Graham
Product Description
Sci-fi film noir filmed in a unique style in which real actors are transformed through motion-capture animation to create a black and white comic-strip style. Set in a near-future Paris, the film depicts the city as a menacing place dominated by the vast and all-seeing Avalon Corporation, which has insinuated itself into every aspect of modern life through its sales of the ultimate commodities: youth and beauty. When a beautiful young scientist, Ilona (Romola Garai) is kidnapped, police officer Barthélémy Karas (Daniel Craig) is assigned to solve the case. His investigation leads him down a deadly path, and he eventually discovers that events that took place back in 2006 have irrevocably affected the future of humankind with dire consequences.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
By G. A. Wright
Format:DVD
Saw this at a small cinema in London, it was never widely released (you wouldnt find it at cineworld!)and rightly so, if your a techie into graphics then you must get this, the animation and cinematography are fantastic. The plot if sumwhat confusing, set in Paris in the future jumps around like a tarantino film, if youve got time to watch it then watch it, this not a film where you can go out of the room and come back in again to carry on it requires concentration! Great character voices from Daniel Craig, Catherine McCormack and the much understated Kevork Malikyan. A stunning exercise in high-tech filmmaking. Buy it
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By pointone
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
This film noir filmed in black and white (absolutely no grey scales) and shot in motion captured CGI is something of a graphic masterpiece. An original story it has all the qualities of a well loved black and white graphic novel brought to life, far surpassing anything else I have ever seen.
Set in Paris in 2054 the artists have created an extraordinary future cityscape incorporating well known features of the city, the three dimensional complexity of these architectural creations has to be seen to be believed.
The stark black and white motion captured images of the characters seem to draw one into the story, where a cop Barthelemy Karas (Daniel Craig) is trying to trace missing Ilona Tasuiev (Romola Garai) a brilliant scientist working for the sinister Avalon Corporation, with intermittent help from her neurotic sister Bislane Tasuiev (Laura Blanc).
I found it difficult to follow the plot until I became accustomed to the pure black and white graphics, in fact a second viewing is mandatory.
In the first class "making of feature" we learn this film will be a one off, a great pity as it is a refreshing new experience.
Set in Paris in 2054 the artists have created an extraordinary future cityscape incorporating well known features of the city, the three dimensional complexity of these architectural creations has to be seen to be believed.
The stark black and white motion captured images of the characters seem to draw one into the story, where a cop Barthelemy Karas (Daniel Craig) is trying to trace missing Ilona Tasuiev (Romola Garai) a brilliant scientist working for the sinister Avalon Corporation, with intermittent help from her neurotic sister Bislane Tasuiev (Laura Blanc).
I found it difficult to follow the plot until I became accustomed to the pure black and white graphics, in fact a second viewing is mandatory.
In the first class "making of feature" we learn this film will be a one off, a great pity as it is a refreshing new experience.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By S. Frampton
Format:DVD
Having seen this film in French with English subtitles, i feel maybe i have experienced a different film to the one stated in other reviews as boring and laclustre.
I thought visually this film was stunning, the characters empassioned(it's hard not to sound so in French i guess)the story (although i could see the end coming at a certian point) was interesting and i liked the world that was created for this film; very real, very gritty.
It's worth a look to see what can be done and it's not particularly taxing but still an enjoyable film to watch.
I thought visually this film was stunning, the characters empassioned(it's hard not to sound so in French i guess)the story (although i could see the end coming at a certian point) was interesting and i liked the world that was created for this film; very real, very gritty.
It's worth a look to see what can be done and it's not particularly taxing but still an enjoyable film to watch.
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4.1 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great movie!
Great movie.. But was looking forward to the original French version.. The one I got was dubbed to English. Minor thing but a great film nonetheless!
Published on 13 Oct 2010 by sww_iii
4.0 out of 5 stars
Astounding, Astonishing, Amazing Visuals
To call this a triumph of style over substance as some do is a little unfair.
Visually, the film is utterly amazing, and the style well suited to the story. Read more
Visually, the film is utterly amazing, and the style well suited to the story. Read more
Published on 10 Oct 2010 by fat man on a bicycle
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Stylistic attempt at reinventing film-noir.
'Renaissance' is a stylstic approach to a futuristic crime thriller. A futuristic film noir if you will. Set in a very beautiful and stylistic version of Paris circa 2054. Read more
Published on 14 Mar 2010 by B. Redwood
5.0 out of 5 stars
Future Crime Thrillermoves like an electric comic book dipped in Oil
"without Death Life is Meaningless"
Visualy Stuning, Intensly Deep and with that Film Noir French twist of the unpredictable. Read more
Visualy Stuning, Intensly Deep and with that Film Noir French twist of the unpredictable. Read more
Published on 8 Jan 2010 by COCOCITYSHOP
4.0 out of 5 stars
Strong and flowing mature animation
In 2054 Paris, Avalon, a computer generated system, controls the city and when a young woman is kidnapped, detective Karas (Craig) must go against Avalon to find her. Read more
Published on 7 Jun 2009 by Stampy
2.0 out of 5 stars
Stylish looks, but a predictable plot and mediocre dialogue.
It's certainly stylish, looking like a cross between a 1970s British war comic and Dark City. The cityscapes and some of the set-peices (the greenhouse scene especially) are very... Read more
Published on 25 April 2009 by Stokie Dave
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Film
This is a brilliant film, All animated and all black and white, but that just adds to the 'feeling' of a dark and dingy Paris. Read more
Published on 8 Feb 2009 by Mr. P. Davis
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Designer's Film
I watched this film not knowing it's associations. The fact that it featured a superb cast of actors was unknown to me. Read more
Published on 15 Nov 2008 by Vitamino
4.0 out of 5 stars
The future of films?
The stark black and white rotoscope style animation of this film is striking. I like it very much as unlike in films with CGI it makes the environments appear seamless with the... Read more
Published on 27 May 2008 by S. Bentley
3.0 out of 5 stars
Eye candy - it won't fill you up.
I wanted to love this film.
I was wearing socks when I started watching this film - and I wanted it to blow them off. Read more
I was wearing socks when I started watching this film - and I wanted it to blow them off. Read more
Published on 19 Feb 2008 by @GeekZilla9000
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