“Best Animation”

★★★★★

“Spoon is the type of film which reminds us all why we love animation in the first place. It’s exceptional!”

To escape from everyday life, it's very simple: you need a ladder and a spoon.

Arthur Chays brilliant animated film ‘Spoon’ captures the heart and meaning of every memorable animated film you can think of. This superb film takes on a compelling story but does it with humour and a sense of wonder which only animation can explore. Spoon is the type of film which reminds us all why we love animation in the first place, it’s exceptional!

Let’s start off by saying that Arthur Chays not only wrote and directed Spoon, but also handled the animation. Chays structures his film perfectly and sets up the story straight away. The little use of dialogue in the film works really well, the sound design and stunning animation is all that’s needed to tell the story and make an immediate connection with the viewer.

The story itself reminds us of films like ‘Disney/Pixar’s Up’ whereby it explores a sense of wonder with a house that flies from balloons. In Spoon, an overworked Mother grabs a ladder which reaches into the stars to a far away planet for a chance to get a little peace and quiet. By using such an imaginative method of storytelling, Chays opens up endless possibilities of scenes to explore as we reach further into space. The results are nothing short of fantastic!

As for the animation itself, everything looks high quality. Chays and his team have done an incredible job at making a blockbuster ready short which wouldn’t look out of place screening ahead of a Disney film. The characters have a traditional look to them which feels right for this film, and the environments only become more and more impressive as the film goes on. The imagination that is shown in Spoon is truly inspiring for animators and filmmakers of any experience level.

The music from Marie Laroche is subtle and understated, the perfect choice for the film as we don’t want to distract from the visuals too much. It’s not overused for the sake of it and gives the film moments of silence when we need to focus. The same can be said of the sound design by Marco Pascal who has done an exceptional job at creating a rich atmosphere full of immersive sounds. The sound design blends seamlessly with the score and certainly helps to make the film what it is. Sound is an essential part of animation to get right and they do so with ease.

What more can be said for this film apart from how much we enjoyed it. It’s a perfect example of how animation will always be a filmmaking technique to tell stories in ways that live action can’t. Spoon showcases the work of some very talented filmmakers which we can’t help but be inspired by…

— APEX Film Awards