ERNEST AND CELESTINE
France, 2012, 80 minutes, Colour.
Voices of, English version: Forrest Whitaker, Mc Kenzie Foy, Lauren Bacall, Paul Giamatti. Voices of, French version: Lambert Wilson, Pauline Brunner, Anne- Marie Loop.
Directed by Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Benjamin Renner.
Ernest is a bear, Celestine is a mouse. They are to central characters in a delightful French animation film, based on characters in a series of books for children. the style of animation is especially French, mild water cover, colour, muted tones, the audience supplying the full characterisation rather than the very full and explicit characterisations in most American animation films
The film opens in an orphanage presided over by a severe character, voiced in the American version by Lauren Bacall. We are shown two worlds, the above-ground world of the bears and the below ground world of the rodents. Celestine disturbs a family of bears when she appears in the bedroom of a little boy who has lost a tooth. The mouse scares the bears but is rescued by Ernest whom we have seen in his house, preparing his musical instruments and going to busk on the streets of the town. The plot concerns the happy life of Ernest and Celestine at home as well as the police searching for them for disturbing the peace.
The last part of the film has two court cases, one above ground where Celestine is being tried by the bears and below ground where Ernest is being tried by the mice. There is some humorous repartee in the court but then a fire breaks out disturbing both cases with both Ernest and Celestine coming to the rescue of the judges.
There are two versions of the film, one in the original French with Lambert Wilson as Ernest. The American version has a very strong cast led by Forrest Whitaker as Ernest and with such performers as Lauren Bacall and Paul Giamatti in supporting roles.
What else could happen except for happy ever after and the prospect of other Ernest and Celestine films.
1. A delightful story? For the family? For adults? Children’s enjoyment?
2. The French touch, sentiment, imagination?
3. The animation, the pallette, the colours, muted, the shapes, locations? The score and the songs?
4. The voices, the English-language talent?
5. The opening with the bears, Celestine and her writing stories, drawings? The supervisor bear, her voice, lights out, control over the bears, wanting to tell a story, the bear and the mouse, her reaction, Celestine and her contradictions, her questions?
6. The narration of the story, the role of the mice, the bears? Ernest, at home, large, his musical instruments, going into town, begging?
7. Celestine, in the house, the fable of the Tooth Mouse, the little bear, his parents’ stories, the appearance of Celestine, the panic, the mother on the bed,
trying to get rid of the mouse?
8. Ernest helping, taking the van, the escape, Ernest’s house, the details of their happy life, painting the van like the woods?
9. The police, the complaints, coming to arrest them? The announcements about the arrest?
10. The police coming, the confrontation, the bear police, the rodent police? The bears taking Celestine, the rodents taking Ernest?
11. The two courtrooms, the parallel trials? Ernest and his earnestness? Celestine and her defiance?
12. The judges, the touch of pomposity? The testimony, the witnesses being pressurised in their testimony?
13. The fire, the rodent judge, the fire going upstairs, Celestine putting the rug over the judge, Ernest extinguishing the fire, yet on fire himself? The reaction
of the judges? The vindication of Ernest and Celestine? Heroes?
14. The niceness of the story, the characters? The final song from Ernest?
