“Bears above and mice below?”
Sometimes, the most important life lessons come from books and movies written for children. Ernest and Célestine is one of them.
What initially seems like another light-hearted fairy tale, Ernest and Célestine slowly takes the route of intrigue.
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The movie is an adaptation of a book series from 1982 by a Belgian artist – Monique Martin, under the pen name Gabrielle Vincent. The stories continued for 20 years, and as per The Dissolve, the two friends – bear and mouse enjoyed simple pleasures of life – going to picnics, trips to museums and circus, taking care of each other, and so on. The movie (the website claims) is more action-packed.
Ernest and Célestine roots its story in the established social norms – fears and prejudices feeding the young minds and artists’ roles in fixing the broken systems.
2D animation, minimal color schemes, era-appropriate character design, and with apt music and voice art, Ernest and Célestine is another win for French movies.
The simple approach of this film with subtle symbolism is a strong testament that you don’t need something super sophisticated to convey something meaningfully beautiful.
Ernest and Célestine is also a call to the artists with a strong message that during the times when societal unrest peaks, artists can turn the events upside down with tools as simple as love and friendship, that they are capable to question, redefining norms, and creating positive changes.
This movie is a celebration of the sense of wonder, simplicity, friendships, and the importance of having each other’s back. At the very least, it is warm and charming.
Ernest and Célestine 2: A Trip to Gibberitia was released in France in Dec 2022 and set for select global distribution in 2023. Curious to see what would unfold.
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Fairy tales are often carved from hardships. What makes the difference is how you choose to tell the story.
“Who would have thought that a badly licked bear
Would become the friend of a mouse, that’s insane
Who would have predicted that a moody bear
Can become the friend of a mouse, it’s forbidden
The blinding truth
astonished society”
*Translated from Célestine’s Theme by Vincent Courtois – a French jazz cellist
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