818 (2018)

The film's storylines read as allegories for the queer experience and that's a source of solace for LGBTQIA+ fans!

I hate the idea that animation’s for kids; just because it’s animated doesn’t mean that it’s some silly cartoon and shouldn’t be taken seriously.

A brave Indian woman rises from an oppressive background to become an inspired leader for women and men alike around the globe.

Considering the runtime, I expected each scene to hit harder as opposed to a series of montages and vignettes. 

“And I think to myself….what a wonderful world”. Louis Armstrong sang about this notion via his classic 1967 song, an ode to witnessing elements of our life that should be but some reminders of exactly what that concluding line of each verse indicates. Now we see our contemporary realities and, just being honest, it makes a sentiment like this seem SO overtly far away….perhaps even impossible….to accept or believe could be. It sounds harsh, but again, so much of what is occurring speaks not to beauty, but bedlam.

The film exhibits a respect for the craft and an empathy for human tribulations that have historically been ignored.