Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Director: Ute von Münchow-Pohl, Icon Film Distribution.
The bunny school is in turmoil. The cunning Leo, leader of a gang of city rabbits wants to destroy Easter and tricks a family of foxes into stealing all the Easter eggs.
Max aspires to outshine, but makes a daunting enemy after humiliating Leo. Max is the first city rabbit ever to be chosen in the master class for Easter rabbits. When the Easter rabbits’ most powerful magical possession, the ‘golden egg’, turns black, Max and his friends must find their very own superpower to protect Easter.
Max’s only chance to save Easter lies in teaming up with the fox Ferdinand, but can a rabbit really trust a fox? The Easter bunnies and their friends have to team up to stop the destruction. With the wise Madame Hermione, they practise the mysterious ‘power bundle’ and learn what it means to really trust someone – even a fox.
The voice roles are impressive and Ute von Münchow-Pohl (A Piece of Cake, Raven the Little Rascal) delivers animation where the characters and the backdrops have a snazzy appeal.
This German animated family film is sure to delight small children.
Nowhere Special
Writer/director: Uberto Pasolini, Icon Film Distribution.
There’s something special about this film as a terminally ill father attempts to find a new family for his young son before his death.
James Norton (Happy Valley, McMafia, War and Peace, Granchester) heartwarmingly plays John, a 35-year-old window cleaner from Belfast, who has dedicated his life to bringing up his four-year-old son, Michael (played well by Daniel Lamont in his first film). His mother left them soon after giving birth.
Their life is a simple one, made up of universal daily rituals, a life of complete dedication and innocent love that reveals the strength of their relationship. John is quiet, reserved, controlled. Michael is loving, sensitive and a little spoiled.
When John is given only a few months to live, he attempts to find a new, perfect family for Michael, determined to shield him from the terrible reality of the situation. He wants his son to understand death.
Italian writer-director Uberto Pasolini (The Full Monty, Machan, Still Life) delivers the film in a subtle way, without packing it with excessive histrionics and sentimentality. It does tug at the heartstrings.
- Rabbit Academy and Nowhere Special are both out on digital on June 22
