The movie succeeds on every level and is a monument in American cinema.
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What is "More"? "More" is the story of hope and inspiration, of the meaning of our routines and what drives us. A short-film created by Mark Osborne, "More" explores, in six minutes, the nature of happiness and joy in our modern, industrial, consumer-driven society.
To describe the story of the short film would do the movie itself no justice because it is something to behold as an emotional experience. Each viewer of the movie will take something different out of the short, something that director Osborne says is perfectly acceptable.
Essentially the film is an expressionistic, claymation exploration that I would favorably compare, thematically, to "Brazil" and emotionally to "Citizen Kane." The narrative arc is much more essential and enthymematic, but there is still an excellent emotional punch in "More." The bleak cityscapes and bright fantasies are absolutely appropriate and lend themselves to this sort of fantasy world. It amazes me that such a short film can give an emotional ride like "More" does.
I hesitate to give an overtly-descriptive review of this movie because it´s something that absolutely must be experienced. I went into the film cold, knowing only its length. The haunting score, the feeling of desolation and familiarity, the magical animation, and sweeping story all combine to provide a great emotional punch that´s got great resonance. The movie succeeds on every level and is a monument in American cinema.
Video
The Anamorphic video in this movie, in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio looks very good. There are a few specks and blemishes on the print but they are hardly noticeable. The definition on the disc is spectacular, so much so that the fingerprints are evident on the claymation figures. In the fantasy, "Bliss" sequence, the colors are vibrant and alive. Excellent quality on the feature. I would have liked to see the movie in the large-screen format that´s touched on briefly, but the presentation here is wonderful.
Audio
There are two audio options including a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track and a Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track. The movie doesn´t feature any dialogue however the audio tracks are very expansive and enveloping. The channel separation is outstanding and distinct. Nary a hiss nor defect was found to this reviewer´s ears.
Extras
Here we get to the bulk of this two-disc affair. That´s right, there is a two-disc set for a six-minute short. On the first disc there are two commentaries by director Mark Osborne, the first talks through the narrative path of the film, offering insights into the films meaning, some of which are enlightening and others simply descriptive. The second commentary talks more about the technical merits of the film, how it was made and how the film was put together, but again Osborne seems so rushed that he doesn´t get the chance to fully develop his thoughts, making me wish we were watching the movie together with a TIVO so he could pause and fully-describe what he means.
The documentary "Making More" is an hour-long exploration of how the first-ever stop-motion IMAX film was created. Its segmented into several portions to make it easier to handle. It starts with Osborne´s introduction to the stop-motion animation field and shows us where we have encountered his work before, in commercial pieces for MTV and others. The documentary then moves on to the inspiration for "More," his trials-and-tribulations in the creation process on a shoestring budget. The documentary hits on about everything I could think of regarding the creation of a short film and so much more. I honestly never would have thought that the process for creating a short was so involved or complex. It´s refreshing to see a take on a film that´s not all roses, and is an exceptional companion piece. The documentary, presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio, is largely composed on videotape and looks appropriate.
Additionally on disc one are a set of sketches and drawings narrated by Mark Osborne that show the inspiration and design crescendo through the entire early process. Unlike most DVDs that throw you into the information without a guide, "More" allows us to understand what we´re seeing. There are also a wide variety of simple photographs that Osborne guides us through as though we were watching a slideshow in his class at CalTech.
