Anna Frank e il diario segreto

I was keen to check this out, because Waltz with Bashir (2008) is one of my all-time favourite films, and I also quite liked Ari Folman's previous film, The Congress (2013). Where is Anne Frank doesn't quite work though, not even coming close to Folman's 2008 film quality-wise and also proving a bit disappointing compared to his 2013 film.

The tone is just very strange, and the storytelling feels a tad awkward, even if the premise sounds like it could work on paper. I can't imagine kids finding this to be particularly engaging, and adults are just going to feel a bit like they're being talked down to.

Aspects of the presentation are interesting- the music kind of stood out, and not in a bad way. I was mixed on the animation overall, though. I don't think it was utilised as well here as it had been in Forman's previous animated/half-animated movies.

I have to admire the film trying to tell a dark historical story in a way that's technically family-friendly, but keeping younger/older viewers actually engaged is a whole other matter. I think this is where the film falters, regardless of whether you're judging it as a family film or one that older audiences can watch and feel invested in.

This proved to be a disappointment, but at least it wasn't a total failure, and there are some things of merit here that can be somewhat appreciated.