A young Iranian boy, Mehrdad (Naoto Shibata/Hassan Shahbazi), happens to meet an older Japanese woman, Tashiro (Keiko Yamashita), in a cemetery. While the two should have nothing in common with one another, and while the two won’t likely be able to find common ground–they soon find that appearances don’t make a person. The Old Young Crow follows this unique relationship and the effect that it has had on these two individuals.
The film starts with a book, and it ends with a book. This beautifully represents the common phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Like the two individuals depicted in The Old Young Crow, this book doesn’t appear to have much meaning, like it shouldn’t and won’t have any effect on the viewer. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The book represents so much, and it’s used in a way, throughout the course of The Old Young Crow, that allows it to surpass any meaning that viewers thought it might potentially possess. Within that book, which is brilliantly used to pull viewers into the film, the world in which this young boy and the old woman exist becomes a reality through a combination of live action and animation.
The animation is unique, as it is rough and far more vivid than one might expect in a film that is getting this much attention. Writer-Director Liam LoPinto uses simplistic animation set against an even simpler backdrop to bring this story to life, to appeal to viewers, and to ultimately get his point across. This aspect of the film is brilliant, never relenting throughout the duration of The Old Young Crow.
In order for The Old Young Crow to work, emotion has to be obviously present from beginning to end. Viewers don’t often get to see actual characters on screen, and with that the development of emotions falls on the voice acting of those involved in the film. Shibata, Shabazi, and Yamashita are tasked with using their voices to bring these characters to life and to resonate with viewers. The beautiful visuals can only do so much, and as The Old Young Crow drives forward at an immense rate, these three are the ones that ultimately appeal to viewers more than anything else. Their voices are powerful, and I could hear every ounce of emotion that poured from them throughout the film. They are ultimately the bridge between story and viewer (even with as wonderfully constructed as everything else is), and they are the thing that kept me engaged, waiting for more information and more answers.
There is most definitely the potential for disconnect between viewer and The Old Young Crow throughout its duration. The reality is that the majority of people that will see this film are from a part of the world that is massively different from the ones being talked about during the film. LoPinto does a stellar job of bridging that potential gap, of creating cohesion, accessibility, and understanding in The Old Young Crow. Through the visuals, the voice acting, the easily understood use of metaphor, The Old Young Crow comes to life in a way that everyone can appreciate.
Written & Directed by Liam LoPinto.
Starring Naoto Shibata, Hassan Shahbazi, Keiko Yamashita, & Hitoshi Hinomizu.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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