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Wrinkles Movie Review

Wrinkles (Arrugas) is a 2011 Spanish animated drama film by Ignacio Ferreras. It’s a beautiful film that is heartbreaking and lovely in equal measure.

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“If you ask me, relatives are a bit like eggnog.

Never around til Christmas

and then suddenly it’s everywhere“

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Emilio arrives to a retirement home where he befriends another man, but unfortunately he starts to develop Alzheimer’s disease. I usually find movies dealing with such serious subject matter, especially concerning illness, very emotionally manipulative. However, that is not the case in this instance, never at all as this picture masterfully deals with different tones, and deftly incorporates them into a coherent whole.

When it comes to those tragic moments, the movie does showcase in a nihilist, but truthful fashion how sad these lives are in a nursery home, and how their families just left them there, and they come to visit them very rarely and for a very short period of time. They showcase how the home has a pool which the old people obviously cannot use, so it’s just there for a visual showcase to others.

It was heartbreaking seeing some of them getting lost in the halls, and wandering aimlessly. Others live imaginary lives, and the most affective moments were the film’s treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The film never shied away from portraying how devastating this disease is, and how quickly it can develop in older people.

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Which brings me to my favorite scenes in the film. One is the ending where Miguel changes his ways and actually stars helping others at the home, and afterward he helps Emilio cope with his disease in what is one truly beautiful sequence that made me cry the first time I saw it. I also loved the final scene with the dog which is both wonderful and very disturbing.

But the film’s most magical moment has to be the flashback scene in the clouds. The movie actually employs the flashback structure so well with each giving us insight into the characters, especially the protagonist, but this one focuses on Modesto who as a kid brought Dolores on the tower among the clouds, and he still remembers that moment. That is what she has been whispering to him all along, and that realization was poetic and simply beautiful.

So yes, those two do leave a very strong impression with their timeless romance that is able to infuse hope for humanity once again in the audience, but I also really liked Antonia who is one of the more memorable characters of the bunch. Her interactions with Miguel are especially fun. Speaking of Miguel, he himself is actually the most complex character in the movie, and not Emilio.

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Yes, Emilio is the actual protagonist, and you sympathize with him a lot as he’s so realistically depicted and so likable, but it is Miguel who has a change of heart, and who develops into a better person, but was genuinely a great man all along. The film very honestly explores the differences between people who’ve had families and those who never had anyone at all. And of course the friendship between the two is wonderful, and the beating heart and soul of the movie. It is grounded in reality, and it very slowly progresses into a true friendship.

In terms of the highlight scenes, I also have to commend the car drive sequence which is very entertaining, and it’s a strong case of the movie going into lightweight territory to soften those darker edges just enough for them to still be effective, but for the audience to breathe a bit and have fun. The same goes for the gym sequence where the old men grope the female instructor. That was hilarious, and the most amusing part of the flick.

The genius in those scenes is how they made those moments funny and amusing while still acknowledging that they are inherently sad in nature. Yes, it is amusing seeing a group of old people not being able to play ball or seeing an older woman fight imaginary aliens, but those circumstances undeniably remain very sad, and the film skillfully juggled between those two tones without ever diminishing their emotional impact, but actually engendering it in it the process.

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Wrinkles also features stunning animation. While the character designs are more on the simplistic side of things, they all still look very realistic, and the whole film is polished and very old-fashioned which I adored. The retirement home looks amazing and very modern, the interiors are all lovely to behold, and I also really liked the outdoors scenes, and especially the best flashback scene which was drenched in sun and infused with magical realism. The animation here is traditional in approach, which was very suitable for this type of material.

Arrugas also features terrific voice acting with everyone delivering strong, emotional work. The dialogue is fantastic, and the film deals with its issues in an honest, sometimes brutally frank manner which I appreciated. The direction is also excellent, and the pacing is fantastic. The film is never rushed or prolonged in any moment, but is consistently engaging and moving. The score is also wonderful, the humor is excellent and the tonal shifts are deftly handled throughout. It’s thus not only one of the greatest films of the decade, but one of my personal favorite animated films ever. It’s a case of an amazing Spanish animated feature which just goes to show that this country should invest more in this particular medium as they knocked it out of the park in this instance.

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Most films about old age are very emotionally manipulative and clichéd in execution. That is never the case with Wrinkles, a profound Spanish animated feature that explores life in retirement homes and Alzheimer’s disease in a brutally frank, but still at times lightweight manner. It juggles its tonal shifts impressively nimbly as it provides amazing moments of levity, heartbreak and even humor throughout its concise runtime. The central friendship is heartwarming whereas that romantic flashback scene is incredibly beautiful. It is a fantastic picture through and through, which is why it ranks among my personal favorite animated films.

My Rating – 5