U

Mona is a princess who lives in a tower; her parents are dead and she has two ugly, ill tempered guardians. The tower looks small from outside but is enormous within. One day Mona cuts her finger, cries, and at that moment a unicorn appears; her name is U. U promises to stay with her always. Years pass, Mona grows, becomes a long eared, dreamy young girl. She falls for a musician cat. As the love grows, the question of what U is for comes back. Serge Elissalde directs with Gregoire Solotareff; the screenplay comes from Solotareff's own picture book. Isild Le Besco is among the voices. The music is by Sanseverino. It is a French production. The film opened on 11 October 2006 and runs seventy five minutes. The matter it treats is an imaginary friend losing her meaning as a child grows; U is a solid presence but her function is bound to childhood. The animation is hand drawn and deliberately rough; the characters are not symmetrical and the colours are flat. The narrative does not follow the classical fairy tale shape; there is no evil kingdom or sorcerer, the matter is entirely internal. The film was marketed as a children's film but its theme speaks to an adult audience too. The music carries the emotional transitions of the narrative. The narrative shows Mona's awakening to sexuality indirectly but openly. The ending closes on a farewell. Its limit is form; the line will put some viewers off, the pace is slow, and the plot thin. Who it is for: viewers who like French graphic novel animation and unusual fairy tales. Who it is not for: the visual style is harsh, it is slow, and the ending sad.