Review: Luca

There is something in the water over at Pixar. Sea monsters, to be precise – that is the basic premise of the animation studio’s 24^th feature film, Luca. Starring Room’s Jacob Tremblay as its eponymous protagonist, Luca follows shy young sea monster Luca Paguro as he forms a close friendship with the bolder Alfonso (Jack Dylan Grazer). Sea monsters assume human form when dry, and so with some encouragement from Alberto, the two boys set out to explore Portorosso, a small town on the Italian Riviera. What follows is an adorable film with gorgeous visuals, great characters and an ending that is guaranteed to get you at least a little misty-eyed.

Director Enrico Casarosa perfectly captures … fleeting, carefree childhood summers

Luca might make you cry, but it probably won’t quite evoke the existential crisis that its predecessor, Soul, did for so many of its viewers. Compared to some of Pixar’s more abstract and thought-provoking work on the human condition, Luca is a relatively simplistic coming-of-age story with no major twists or turns. But that only works in the film’s favour – the understated story allows the characters and their budding relationships to shine. In his debut feature film, director Enrico Casarosa perfectly captures those fleeting, carefree childhood summers that cinema is often so wistfully nostalgic for. As the title suggests, this film is about Luca as he explores the surface for the first time and begins the daunting journey of discovering who he is.

Luca is beautifully animated. The film’s lush depiction of the Italian Riviera has something of a timeless quality to it. Set sometime in the 1950s/60s, many of its frames would not look out of place on a vintage postcard. Luca‘s bright and warm animation evokes the gorgeous watercolour aesthetics present in the films of Studio Ghibli. The town itself, Portorosso, is a playful pun on Porco Rosso, but the visuals and story are also reminiscent of Kiki’s Delivery Service and Ponyo. The iridescent designs of Luca and Alberto in their sea creature form are beautiful, and the water looks tantalisingly inviting. Like much of Pixar’s best work, the fantastical elements of Luca only serve to make the story more human, and all the more memorable for it.

The iridescent designs of Luca and Alberto in their sea creature form are beautiful, and the water looks tantalisingly inviting

Pixar’s latest film hasn’t just invited comparison to Studio Ghibli’s work, however. Everything from The Shape of Water to Call Me By Your Name has been playfully brought into the virtual conversation surrounding Luca – the similarities to Luca Guadagnino’s 2017 Italian queer romance film, in particular, have not gone unnoticed. Both Luca and Alberto fear being “outed” as sea monsters by the townspeople on their journey towards self-discovery and acceptance. Viewing the film through that lens, it is easy to see why so many have interpreted that narrative – and the close friendship between Luca and Alberto – as queer. And yet, Casarosa has insisted that Luca’s story is one about ‘friendship in that pre-puberty world.’

Given that the animation studio didn’t hesitate to give the cars from Cars a heterosexual romance subplot, it is disheartening that Disney still aren’t quite ready to commit to LGBTQ+ representation that goes beyond a throwaway line or a maligned minor character. Ideas that queerness is somehow inherently explicit or not suitable for children are misguided and harmful. Pixar’s unwillingness to even acknowledge valid interpretations of Luca as an allegory for queerness is disappointing, but not surprising.

Luca is still a sweet film with a strong friendship at its core

Despite the discourse, Luca is still a sweet film with a strong friendship at its core. The interludes that give an insight into Luca’s expansive imagination are particularly enrapturing. In the supporting cast, Emma Berman shines as misfit Giulia, a friend of Luca and Alberto who is desperate to win the town’s triathlon event. The young main voice actors give the film an endearing authenticity as a snapshot of youthful, exuberant summer, and while Ercole (Saverio Raimondo) won’t be remembered as an all-time great villain, Luca, Alberto, and Giulia are a delight to watch.

Verdict:

It may not be as ambitious or introspective as some of Pixar’s finest films, but Luca is still a success. The film’s pretty-as-a-postcard visuals and sweet, simple story make it very endearing, and viewers are free to interpret the core close friendship and themes of discovery and self-acceptance however they choose.