Moomins on the Riviera

Moomins on the Riviera

The international poster
Directed by Xavier Picard
Produced by Hanna Hemilä
Written by Leslie Stewart
Annina Enckell
Hanna Hemilä
Xavier Picard
Beata Harju
Based on Moomin 
by Tove Jansson
Lars Jansson
Starring
Production
company
Handle Productions
Pictak Cie
Distributed by Nordisk Film (Scandinavia)
Gebeka Films (France)
Vertigo Films (United Kingdom)
Release dates
  • 10 October 2014 (Finland)
  • 4 February 2015 (France)
  • 30 April 2015 (Hong Kong)
  • 22 May 2015 (United Kingdom)
Running time
 80 minutes
Country France
Finland
Language English
Budget €3.6 million[1]
(US$4 million)
Box office $1,4 million[2]

Moomins on the Riviera is a 2014 Finnish-French[3] traditional animated film directed by Xavier Picard and produced by Hanna Hemilä,[4] who is also co-director. The film is based on Moomin comic strips by Tove Jansson and Lars Jansson. The film is a co-production of Finnish Handle Productions and French Pictak Cie. The film is written by Leslie Stewart, Annina Enckell, Hanna Hemilä, Xavier Picard and Beata Harju. The British English version of the film stars Russell Tovey as Moomin, Nathaniel Parker as Moominpappa and Tracy Ann Oberman as Moominmamma.

The film is based on the Moomin Tove Jansson's original comic strip: Moomin on the Riviera and it is the first animated feature based on the comic strips. In the film, the Moomins along with Snorkmaiden and Little My sail for the Riviera, where their unity is threatened. Snorkmaiden is dazzled by the attentions of the playboy Clark Tresco and Moominpappa befriends an aristocrat Marquis Mongaga, while Moomin and Moominmamma decide to move to the beach in order to escape all the glamorous extravagance.[5]

Moomins on the Riviera has been first released theatrically on 10 October 2014 in Finland to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Tove Jansson's birth.[6] In United Kingdom, the film made its premiere on 11 October 2014 at BFI London Film Festival[7] and it is set to have wider theatrical release in 22 May 2015.[8]

English Cast

Additional roles from the English version of the film are played by Dominic Frisby, Ian Conningham, Alison O’Donnell, Bernard Alane, Bruno Magnes, Andy Turvey, Kris Gummerus, Glyn Welden Banks, Lee Willis, Sanna-June Hyde, Christopher Sloan and Leslie Hyde. Maria Sid and Beata Harju, who provide voices for Moominmamma and the Mymble in the Finnish and Swedish versions, also voice minor roles in the English dub.[9]

Production

According to Sophia Jansson of the Moomin Characters, the company had been careful with giving the rights to new film adaptions about the Moomins for years.[10] When the participation rights with the Telescreen had ceased, Sophia Jansson has shown interest towards the idea for animated film based on the Moomin comic strip story.[10] The producer Hanna Hemilä who is Sophia's close friend, tells Sophia about French animation director Xavier Picard, who could be interested to turn comic strips to the big screen. They contact Picard[11] and the film started production at France in 2010.[1][12]

The film is animated the traditional, hand drawn animation with a reduced color scale for the backgrounds in order to maintain continuity with the black-and-white comic strips.[4] Pictak Cie has been on developing the visuals of the film, Chinese' Sandman Animation Studio has done 120,000 drawings for the hand-made animation and Handle Productions is producing the film.[13] The film marks the feature film directorial debut of Xavier Picard.[14] Picard wasn't aware of the Moomins before he discovered them 20 years ago in Japan,[15] but he has been particularly fascinated by comic strips and has stated to want translate the art of Tove Jansson into animation.[16]

The Finnish voice cast of the film has been confirmed on August 2014 featuring Maria Sid as Moominmamma,[17] while the English voice cast has been confirmed on September 2014 press announcement.[18][19] The film's score is confirmed to being made by many Finnish and French composers, including Jean de Aguiar, Panu Aaltio, Timo Lassy, Milla Viljamaa and Anna-Karin Korhonen.[13]

The film is faithful to Tove Jansson's original story in the original comic strip,[10] with the addition of a few characters and story lines: Little My and Snufkin, have been added to the film, in addition to some other characters from other Moomin comic strip.[20] While the production crew felt that Riviera is fun and dramatic setting, they have also add the side story at the beginning of the film, that takes place to the Moominvalley and where Moomins got their idea for the sea voyage. The reason for this has been to introduce the dwelling place of the Moomins for the international audience. Sophia Jansson herself has approved the change.[11]

Release

Moomins on the Riviera has been first released on 10 October 2014 in Finland to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Tove Jansson’s birth,[6][21] and on 31 October 2014 in Sweden.[22] In France, the film has been released on 4 February 2015.[23] Indie Sales acquired the release rights for the Toronto Film Festival[3] and in addition, the film has been sold to other countries, including Switzerland and Japan.[24] For the English theatrical release, the film has made its premiere on 11 October 2014 at BFI London Film Festival in United Kingdom[7][25] The film is set to have wider theatrical release in UK for 22 May 2015 that is distributed by Vertigo Films.[8][26] In February 2015, the film is confirmed to being featured on New York International Children's Film Festival.[27]

Region 2 home media edition of Moomins on the Riviera is released on February 11, 2015 for the DVD and Blu-Ray in Finland.[28]

Reception

Critical response

From BFI London Film Festival screening, Matt Micucci of CineCola praises the film's screenplay and soundtrack, while calling "a smart and surprisingly quick witted film as well as the perfect tribute to a celebrated and much loved comic strip that has the potential of winning it an even greater and more international audience".[29] W!ZARD Radio has also given positive review for the film and calls the film "clear cautionary tale against the corporate modern world and its obsession with image, reminding us to take a breather and be content with a simpler way of life".[30] Sara Steensig of gbtimes was enthusiastic towards the film despite pointing out of Moominpappa's painful hangover and Moomintroll's bitter jealousy, but she notes after that "These are phenomena that adults will recognize but most children will not, and they are shown in a way that will not make young kids wonder about things they are not ready for."[31]

Box office

As of October 26, 2014, Moomins on the Riviera grossed $1,381,862 in Finland.[2] The film first earned $337,391 (28,500 viewers) on its first weekend, surpassing The Grump, and became the highest grossing film during its first two weekends in Finland.[32][2]

Possible TV-series

In an October 2014 blog article of Screendaily, Sophia Jansson has given a statement that the film's “artistic team has made an effort to be true to the original drawings and the original text” and it is hinted that Jansson is now in discussions with various parties for a new, similarly animated television series.[15]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jensen, Jorn Rossing (6 May 2013). "Return of the Moomins, now in search of adventure on the Riviera". Cine Finland. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Moomins on the Riviera (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Zahed, Ramin (6 September 2013). "Indie Sales Brings ‘Moomins on the Riviera’ to Toronto". Animationmagazine.net. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Julkku, Mari (23 April 2014). "Moomins on the Riviera:Finnish Feature on Tove Jansson's Characters". Zippy Frames. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  5. ↑ "Moomins on the Riviera - Synopsis". Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Glamour on koitua Muumien kohtaloksi Rivieralla". Nordiskfilm.fi. 29 May 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2014.(Finnish)
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Moomins on the Riviera". Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Trailer for ‘Moomins on the Riviera’ Released". Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  9. ↑ Wolfe, Jennifer (9 September 2014). "English-Language Voice Cast Announced for ‘Moomins on the Riviera’". Animation World Network. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Julkku, Mari (10 June 2013). "Yllättävä elokuva muumeista: Uhkapeliä ja alkoholia". Iltalehti. Retrieved 1 July 2014.(Finnish)
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Massa, Silja (8 October 2014). "Muumi-elokuvan ohjaaja luuli aluksi hahmoja virtahevoiksi ja Muumilaakson sijaitsevan Suomessa". Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved 8 October 2014.(Finnish)
  12. ↑ Tikka, Juha-Pekka (17 April 2014). "Ryyppäävistä muumeista pitkä elokuva teattereihin". Verkkouutiset. Retrieved 1 July 2014.(Finnish)
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Jensen, Jorn Rossing (2 October 2014). "First stop: Finland for Picard’s Moomins on the Riviera". Cineuropa. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  14. ↑ Langsworthy, Billy (9 September 2013). "Indie Sales acquires first feature-length Moomins movie". Licensing.biz. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Mitchell, Wendy (10 October 2014). "A new adventure for the Moomins". Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  16. ↑ Butcher, Asa (8 October 2014). "French director talks ‘Moomins on the Riviera’". Gbtimes. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  17. ↑ Juuti, Mikko (31 August 2014). "Uutuusleffa Muumit Rivieralla – hän on uusi Muumimamma". Ilta-Sanomat. Retrieved 8 September 2014.(Finnish)
  18. ↑ Schavemaker, Peter (5 September 2014). "English Cast Set for ‘Moomins on the Riviera’". Animationmagazine.net. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  19. ↑ "Moomins on the Riviera - ENGLISH CAST ANNOUNCED". 29 August 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  20. ↑ "Moomins on the Riviera - Characters". Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  21. ↑ "Moomins on the Riviera - About the Film". Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  22. ↑ "MUMINFAMILJEN PÅ RIVIERAN". Retrieved 10 October 2014.(Swedish)
  23. ↑ "Les Moomins sur la Riviera". Premiere. Retrieved 1 August 2014.(French)
  24. ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (30 January 2014). "Indie Sales Ships ‘Moomins’ To Japan And Switzerland (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  25. ↑ "The 58th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express® announces full 2014 programme". 4 September 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  26. ↑ Mitchell, Wendy (31 October 2014). "Vertigo takes Moomins On The Riviera for UK". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  27. ↑ "Moomins on the Riviera - Official selection of the New York International Children’s Film Festival!". 7 February 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  28. ↑ "Muumit Rivieralla Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 2015-02-08.
  29. ↑ "Family review - MOOMINS ON THE RIVIERA by Xavier Picard". Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  30. ↑ "58th BFI London Film Festival 2014: Moomins on the Riviera". 12 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  31. ↑ Steensig, Sara (21 October 2014). "Beautiful, funny and a bit dangerous: Moomins on the Riviera". Gbtimes. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  32. ↑ Jensen, Jorn Rossing (14 October 2013). "New Finnish films go straight into the charts". Cine Europa. Retrieved 14 October 2014.

External links