The Case Of Hana & Alice

Animators go through a lot of effort to make characters real and lifelike, often by exaggerating action far past anything realistic, because a perfect imitation of movement looks fake, static and dull. So most animators paint the physical world in a wilder and more extreme form. And because animation is only limited by the imagination, we think of cartoons as magical things – brilliant and fantastical – but lacking any real flesh and blood. This said, "The Case of Hana & Alice" is a genuinely rare find. The animation is really nothing to speak of dull, typical and lifeless. But the movie itself ends up being surprisingly realistic, and therefore, deeply engaging.

The film uses a technique called rotoscoping, essentially filming live-action and tracing over the pictures frame by frame. And the pictures are of two pretty typical teenagers in a pretty typical suburb. As a prequel to the director Shunji Iwai's live action film "Hana
& Alice," this coming-of-age murder mystery becomes life drawn on the screen.

The images here have none of the broad expressions, adorable faces or flowing movement of a Disney film. The appeal is created solely through the story and the characters.

Alice discovers her new middle school is soaked in mystery, a student potentially murdered by his fellow classmates, a 14 year-old with multiple wives, demonic possession and a haunted house. So she and her new friend Hana set off to investigate this bizarre case.

In the process, they stay out all night, roaming through the city and sleeping under parked cars to keep warm. In the end, they discover a lot of things through their adventure, but nothing they expected.

With over two hours of bonus features – including filmmaker interviews, a press conference and a message from the famed director of the anime "Your Name" – this Blu-ray has a lot to offer beyond the movie. But this subtle, simple movie is enough.

"The Case of Hana & Alice"
Blu-ray Combo Pack $19.97
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