THIS FILM IS LIVING LARGE WITH
HUGE AMOUNTES OF PLEASURE AND CREATIVITY
As sweet and as rich as the high-calorie concoctions the lovable lead character covets and consumes, the stop-motion animated film Living Large is a treat, but the sympathetic portrait of this sad sack doesn’t become saccharine. Twelve-year-old Ben, a burdened, bullied, body-shamed boy lumbers along, sighing and trying to cope with being teased at school and tensions caused by his parents separating. The belittled, bespectacled adolescent finds comfort and escape via food and more food, fantasies and hopes related to his crush on a girl who’s kind to him, and music. (He’s writing a song for the band he’s in with Erik, his very thin best friend. The plot is peppered with humorous touches, such as Erik’s father wanting to join the kids’ band. The look and feel of the film are more quirky and clever than cliché cartoon cuddly cute, but it’s immensely endearing. Characters have amusingly exaggerated features in the faces and bodies, such as an off-center mouth for Ben’s muttering mother, bulging eyes, a massive mountain of curly hair for Erik, limbs or heads that are out of proportion with the rest of a body. That’s an apt emphasis for adolescents with growth spurts, and the style choice of stop-action animation with its non-legato, pause-filled movement works to advantage to embrace age-appropriate awkwardness.
Part of the International Children’s Film Festival, this review is based on screening the 80-minute movie with dialogue performed by English-speaking actors, with Tyler Gay voicing vulnerable but increasingly assertive Ben with nuance, but the project was first done in Czech. The film and its director, Kristina Dufková, have garnered award wins and nominations since its 2024 debut. It’s based on the novel La vie, en gros by Petr Jarchovský. But the English version of the screen project does not project or distractingly betray its origins or settings, coming off as universal. Signature scene breaks, to show time passing between the pastimes of band practice and snack-binging, there are overhead wide shots of cars moving through traffic on the streets of town. Settings and scenic details are whimsical (well, there’s whimsy in many elements, all to the good), with well-chosen details, creating claustrophobia or open space as needed. Scenes in school with mocking students, scowling teachers, and a chiding (and somewhat creepy) nurse capture the oppressive atmosphere. (A self-conscious, overweight kid is in pre-teen Hell when he’s on the scale in only his underpants, panting in his gym shorts when he falls short of vaulting over gym apparatus – taunted by a drill sergeant-styled Phys. Ed. teacher — thrashing in the school pool when bullies show unsuitable behavior by pulling off and ripping his swimsuit.)
Told that he’s bordering on obesity, Ben is bordering on depression. A few paths to change are presented. Parents want him to see a nutritionist who’ll analyze his behavior, but he self-motivates to improve his chances to lose weight and gain the romantic affection of his crush. (An exercise regime with outdoor stair climbing is an homage to a memorable scene from the movie Rocky, complete with a quote from its instrumental theme.) He’s put on a special strict diet, drooling over classmates’ more tempting lunch items and his indulgent grandmother’s home cooking.
Will he lose weight, lose hope, or both? Will he relapse? Will his crush be revealed, requited, or result in rejection? Will he find new joy from a new wardrobe, a new hobby, a new set of pals? Will he ever finish writing that song for the band and will it coincidentally have the same title as this fun film? The answers are: Yes; No; Maybe; Absolutely; None Of The Above; Somewhat; and It’s Anybody’s Guess — but not in that order. (Spoiler alerts are not on the menu for this review – go indulge in its twists and turns yourself and smile.) This is a delightful, insightful charmer about a chubby chap you’ll cheer for as he navigates through the obstacle course of gaining confidence as much as gaining weight.
Living Large
distributed by Front Row Filmed Entertainment
October 17, 2024 | 80 minutes | Czech Republic/Slovakia/France
