Nocturna (2007) Reviews

• Why didn't anybody tell me

  xander-pascal2008-08-20

  I watched this movie last night and I didn't know anything about the movie, I was really pleasantly surprised. The story of a young boy afraid of the dark, that lives in an orphanage and mapped the stars on the roof of the building. He has a personal star and one night this star vanishes, in the process of finding out what the cause is of the disappearance he meets all sorts of interesting people, including the North Star. There are plenty of laughs, at some points even an ah so that's how it works. Our little hero is on his way to a lighthouse with the cat shepherd and ends up on a roof with a conductor, this person is responsible for all the strange noises you hear in the night. I am going to save this one for my son to watch when he is a bit older.

• The stars at night are big and bright...

  ElijahCSkuggs2010-06-03

  It's always nice to accidentally stumble upon a movie that didn't get the praise and recognition it rightly deserved in the first place. It's even nicer when it's animated. The story starts with Tim, a night-time fearing orphan who takes great refuge with mother nature's night-lights, the stars. After a prank by some of his fellow orphan brothers, he scrambles up onto the roof so the dark doesn't envelope him. And this is when he notices that the stars are beginning to disappear. But luckily for him he then meets the Cat Herder, his new found friend and ally to figuring out the mystery of the missing stars. The story itself isn't strong enough to carry you alone, but thanks to a creative world and unique artistic style that reminded me of a Tim Schafer game in ways, the movie combines all aspects of film-making to create something worth-while and memorable. At the movie's core is Nocturna; the name of the magical land that controls the night and sleep for all the little boys and girls of the world. In this land there's a Cat Herder that is in charge of all the cats that purr you to sleep. There's a trio of hair-dressers that give you 'bed head'. There's even a bothersome little man who with a tiny whisper, will have you wetting your bed. And that's just for starters. With a tried and true, but rather simple story about courage, and not being afraid of the dark at it's center, you're not really blown away by any story arc. The delivery of it's message through imagination is the real saving grace. Because of the art style and professional voice work, the movie will eventually rise above it's unfounded place in that big well of under-appreciated films.

• Courage vs. Dark

  leprutz13-12010-02-18

  After downloading this movie I am going out to buy it on DVD. I was very pleased with it. A Spanish - french production that portrays the more than typical story of the little boy afraid of the dark. Tipical? Maybe. But after you watch it you can be sure to be submerged into a childs world of spookiness and pure visual poetry. The story unfolds as stars start disappearing. So the boy meets the cats shepherd, whose purpose you will learn during watching this delightfull film, who will help little Tim (the boy) to go on a journey throughout the night. As the world is being devoured by what Tim fears most. He must struggle together to save the night. I wouldn't say a touch of Tim Burton, but definitely this typical french and Spanish touch of Gothic visual in which nothing is straight but curvy and angled. A very pleasant eye catcher is the architecture of buildings in this little piece of art. It is what makes the whole ambiance plus the different light scalings and brightnesses. This movie is mostly in a blue tone which emphasizes more the suspense of darkness. In the end it unfolds to be very predictable somehow but still a Wow for the lovers of old visual poetry as I use to call it. Reminds me of summer nights looking up in the sky and staring at the stars with a full moon and some nice mellowy clouds.

• Great magical film that improves with each viewing and needs to be seen by anyone looking for a good film not just a good animated one

  dbborroughs2008-09-12

  Tim is a little boy who is afraid of the dark, but loves the stars. Every night he drags his bed to the window so he can be watched over by his star. One night unable to sleep he climbs to the roof of the orphanage and looks out over the city and notices that the stars, including his star, are going out. In his frenzy to do something he falls off the roof, but is rescued by the Cat Shepherd. The Cat Shepherd is in charge of the cats that watch over all of the children and help put them to sleep at night. When Tim refuses to go to sleep The Cat Shepherd agrees to help Tim get to see the head of Nocturna the world of the night, who might be able to help him solve the problem of the missing stars. This in turn becomes a journey across the night world as Tim tries to find the source of the darkness. I've seen Nocturna twice in two days and while I really liked it after the first viewing I fell even more under its spell upon the second. This is quite simply a magical movie that improves with each viewing (I'm planning yet another viewing in the next day or so). Trust me this is a great film. If you've ever wondered why your hair is messed up in the morning, or who makes the noises at night, or who steal your socks this movie is for you. As Tim goes through the night world he discovers the answers to these and other questions (which are referenced through out the movie and seeing how they are is what makes the film so much fun on multiple viewings) Its magic. Watching the film I was reminded of other films, Monsters Inc, Spirited Away, Moongirl, and a few others, but seconds after I thought that the film was like one thing I almost instantly realized that I was wrong, it maybe like these films for a moment, but in the end they are nothing like them, this is a film that creates its own unique world (which is clearly evident in its design, music and witty dialog). This is a film that ultimately is a unique masterpiece.(If nothing else the familiarity that flashes up makes the film more special in that it makes it easier to believe that what we see happening in the film is really what happens in our world after we fall asleep). This film needs to be seen, by anyone who wants to see a good movie- not just an animated film or a kids film- just a good film. It's special. Search this one out. And why doesn't this film appear to have a US distributor? I had to see this as an imported region 2 DVD(Which has a super English voice cast.) This is an animated film that deserves to be seen as big as possible. I regret not seeing it at the New York Children's Film Festival when I had the chance because the thought of seeing Tim moving through the city on the big screen is just too amazing to contemplate (It looks great on a big screen TV but on a big movie screen its probably even better).

• Completely entranced by Nocturna...

  TheLittleSongbird2012-03-31

  Nocturna is one of the best animated films I've seen, not just recently but ever. The animation is some of the most beautiful-looking I've seen from any animated film in a while, and I say this as a huge animation fan, with colours especially that have a perfect mix of Gothic atmosphere, surrealism and warmth. The music score is enchanting too, sparkling and adventurous, while the story is original in concept and very creative and simple with an appreciative message, the writing is is dynamic and never cheesy or stilted and the characters are both memorable and appealing, Tim is cute but never in a cloying sense, you actually do root for him. The voice work is wonderfully professional. So all in all, a gem of a film, not just animated but of film in general. 10/10 Bethany Cox