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France, Romania · 2020
1h 32m
Director Anca Damian
Starring Lizzie Brocheré, Bruno Salomone, Thierry Hancisse, Nathalie Boutefeu
Genre Animation, Drama, Family
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In this beautiful and poetic film, an accident causes a little stray dog to remember all of the owners she’s ever had and ever loved throughout her life. A life affirming tale, told with the patient, boundless love of a dog, that reminds us happiness is a small, precious thing.
However, unlike "The Wolf House," the shifting styles of Marona never feel like change for change's sake, or like an extended highlight reel. Each sequence carries a different tone, a reflection of Marona's inner life and inner light. Even in her tragic end, her fantastic tale keeps wagging with hope.
Marona’s Fantastic Tale gently and poetically deals with heavy themes like mortality, solitude, and loss, but manages to be suitable viewing for the entire family. It reiterates that the love our dogs have for us is unconditional and that we shouldn’t regard them as accessories or temporary means of respite. It’s also a phantasmagoric feast for the eyes. Seek it out.
The Hollywood Reporter by Jordan Mintzer
The film has its upbeat moments but can also be a tad gloomy — or maybe just classically Romanian, for anyone familiar with the recent cinematic output of that country — for what’s essentially a movie aimed at children. But the colorful animation helps to liven up the atmosphere.
RogerEbert.com by Matt Zoller Seitz
The movie unfolds according to its own logic and intuition and demands a great deal of adults as well as kids, starting with the basic proposition that life is finite and ends in death, you don't get to choose the time, place, and circumstances of your passing, and it's not only OK for animation to talk about these things, it's healing.
Los Angeles Times by Michael Ordona
While it’s sometimes dizzying in its visuals or its joy, it’s often not cute. It can be fun, even exhilarating. It can also carry the emotional impact of loss.
Provides pleasures for all ages, but especially for dog lovers.
The New York Times by Teo Bugbee
Marona has three real homes in her life, and past abandonments have taught her that heartbreak waits in every happiness. But fortunately, the film stays buoyant through its unique, boisterous animation.
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