Film Review: Jacob, Mimmi and the Talking Dogs

Edmunds Jansons’ Jacob, Mimmi and the Talking Dogs is an amiable animated adventure with a strong message at its core.

When his father goes on a business trip, Jacob goes to stay in the Riga suburb of Maskachka with his cousin Mimmi. When the local park is earmarked as the site of a new skyscraper, Jacob and Mimmi enlist the help of a pack of talking dogs to stop construction…

Directed and co-written by Edmunds Jansons (with co-writer Liga Gaisa), Jacob, Mimmi and the Talking Dogs is a family-friendly animated film. The film focuses on two children’s fight to stop construction that will destroy the look and ambience of a neighbourhood. Along the way, protagonist Jacob goes on a metaphorical journey of his own.

The narrative takes a little bit of time to get going. The film does lack momentum to begin with, as the narrative focuses on Jacob’s reluctance to stay with his uncle and cousin, and his initially abrasive relationship with Mimmi. Once the main narrative of the park destruction gets going, along with the appearance of the talking dogs, the film shifts to a more engaging gear. The gang of dogs are an important addition, bringing laughs and giving the movie a spark.

Jacob, Mimmi and the Talking Dogs touches on an interesting subject for a family film, which is the struggle between idealism and realism. This idea is presented in a very digestible way, and exists within the wider context of environmentalism versus economic prosperity. Gentrification is referenced explicitly, albeit in a humorous fashion. The film presents its message in an entertaining manner. 

Animation in the film has a charming effect. There is a contrast between the detail and sometimes delicate backgrounds and the broad style of the humans. Jansons and the film’s animators have created a two-dimensional look, with the protagonists looking almost like paper dolls. It is a distinctive and likeable style.

With Jacob, Mimmi and the Talking Dogs, Jansons combines humour with adventure to deliver a message that should resonate with young and old alike.

Jacob, Mimmi and the Talking Dogs is being screened at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2019.

BFI London Film Festival 2019 Launch

This morning saw the launch of the BFI London Film Festival 2019. In its 63rd year, the festival is screening 229 feature films, including 28 world premieres. Here are some highlights from the festival programme…

Headline Galas

The opening and closing films for the BFI London Film Festival 2019 had already been announced. The festival opens with the European premiere of Armando Iannucci’s The Personal History of David Copperfield. An adaptation of the Dickens’ classic, the film stars Dev Patel, Tilda Swinton, and Hugh Laurie. Martin Scorsese‘s hotly-anticipated The Irishman closes the festival. There is an embarrassment of riches among the other headline galas, including Rian Johnson’s Knives Out, Marielle Heller’s (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, and Michael Winterbottom’s Greed, starring Steve Coogan and Isla Fisher.

Strand Galas and Special Presentations

This year, films screening as part of the Strand Galas include Robert Eggers’ (The Witch) The Lighthouse, starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. The Dare Gala is Mirrah Folks’ debut feature Judy & Punch, a fairy tale starring Mia Wasikowska. Among the Special Presentations are Takashi Miike’s First Love, and Bombay Rose, a hand-drawn animated feature from Gitanjali Rao.

Official Competition

Among the ten features in Official Competition at the London Film Festival 2019 are Haifaa Al-Mansour’s (Wadjda) The Perfect Candidate, about a young doctor who challenges Saudi Arabia’s strict social codes. Thomas Clay’s Fanny Lye Deliver’d stars Maxine Peake and Charles Dance, and is about a woman living with her puritanical husband in 17th century Shropshire. The Documentary Competition features Rubika Shah’s White Riot, about the Rock Against Racism movement, and Lauren Greenfield The Kingmaker, which focuses on Imelda Marcos. The First Feature Competition includes Joe Talbot’s The Last Black Man in San Francisco and Shannon Murphy’s Babyteeth, a drama starring Eliza Scanlon and Ben Mendelsohn.

Strands

The eleven thematic programme strands are back once more at the London Film Festival 2019. The Love strand includes La Belle Époque, Nicolas Bedos’ drama about an illustrator who uses technology to replay the past, and Ga-young Jeong’s Heart. The Debate strand is particularly strong this year with Citizen K (Alex Gibney‘s documentary on Mikhail Khodorkovsky), Chinonye Chukwu’s Sundance winner Clemency, Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life, and Scott Z Burns’ The Report, starring Adam Driver. Comedies in the Laugh strand includes Billie Piper’s directorial debut Rare Beasts, whilst Wash Westmoreland’s Earthquake Bird in the Thrill strand stars Alicia Vikander in an 1980s Tokyo-set thriller. Cannes winner The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão is among the films in the Journey category.

The Dare strand features animated coming-of-age tale I Lost My Body and Václav Marhoul’s The Painted Bird, about a Jewish boy on a journey home during wartime. The Cult strand includes Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s The Lodge and Lorcan Finnegan’s Vivarium, with Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots. Also in this category is Richard Stanley’s Color Out of Space, a HP Lovecraft adaptation starring Nicolas Cage and Joely Richardson. The Experimenta strand includes Brad Butler and Noorafshan Mizra’s Ruptures, whilst Create includes Midge Costin’s documentary Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound. Two highlights of the Family strand are Edmunds Jansons’ Jacob, Mimmi and the Talking Dogs and Lorenzo Mattotti’s The Bears’ Famous Invasion. Finally, classics that are showing as part of the Treasures programme include David Lynch’s The Elephant Man and Roger Corman’s The Masque of the Red Death, starring Vincent Price.

The BFI London Film Festival 2019 runs from 2nd-13th October. The full programme can be viewed here.