Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? 
Starring: Michel Gondry, Noam Chomsky
Directed by: Michel Gondry
Rated: NR
Run Time: 88 mins
Genre: Documentary/ Animation
Opens December 6th
By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com
Hey Phoenix Film Fans! Opening this week at Harkins Valley Art is a documentary by the filmmaker that brought you such films such as “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, “BE Kind Rewind” and “The Green Hornet”. Director Michel Gondry has been a ϋber fan of Noam Chomsky’s work for years, so how well does the philosophical, linguistic and political activism translate into animation? Read on to find out.
If you’re not up on the latest in the world of philosophy (who isn’t?) you may have vaguely heard of a name floating around the social vernacular of political activism or in the study of linguistics. Noam Chomsky is a brilliant mind, diverse in his areas of passion and study so when director Michel Gondry had the chance to sit down with the renowned figure in 2010 he felt that it was best to take this conversation and present it on the silver screen and digital download in animation form.
What is presented as an ambitious project with Gondry drawing all the animation himself, if you’re one that enjoys an intellectually stimulating conversation, the message is only weakly supported by the visual aids of drawings. If bright flashing or if the viewer has sensitive eyes, you may want to close your eyes to focus on the conversation as the animation flows much like an acid trip induced visionary experience. If you sit and focus on the words spoken, the message of the film is much stronger than seeing the animation and listening to the words. It was a wise choice to focus on the linguistic and philosophical nature of Chomsky’s work as his political activism has ruffled a few feathers in the past which would have been distracting to the other important and interesting information being discussed. Check out “Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?” when it opens at Harkins Valley Art starting Friday December 6, 2013.
