Where Is Anne Frank
2021
Action / Animation / Drama / Family / History
Where Is Anne Frank
2021
Action / Animation / Drama / Family / History
Plot summary
The film follows the journey of Kitty, the imaginary friend to whom Anne Frank dedicated her diary. A fiery teenager, Kitty wakes up in the near future in Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam and embarks on a journey to find Anne, who she believes is still alive, in today's Europe. While the young girl is shocked by the modern world, she also comes across Anne's legacy.
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU 720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
I rather liked the premiss of this rather
I just don't quite think it works, sadly.
I was keen to check this out, because Waltz with Bashir (2008) is one of my all-time favourite films, and I also quite liked Ari Folman's previous film, The Congress (2013). Where is Anne Frank doesn't quite work though, not even coming close to Folman's 2008 film quality-wise and also proving a bit disappointing compared to his 2013 film.
The tone is just very strange, and the storytelling feels a tad awkward, even if the premise sounds like it could work on paper. I can't imagine kids finding this to be particularly engaging, and adults are just going to feel a bit like they're being talked down to.
Aspects of the presentation are interesting- the music kind of stood out, and not in a bad way. I was mixed on the animation overall, though. I don't think it was utilised as well here as it had been in Forman's previous animated/half-animated movies.
I have to admire the film trying to tell a dark historical story in a way that's technically family-friendly, but keeping younger/older viewers actually engaged is a whole other matter. I think this is where the film falters, regardless of whether you're judging it as a family film or one that older audiences can watch and feel invested in.
This proved to be a disappointment, but at least it wasn't a total failure, and there are some things of merit here that can be somewhat appreciated.







