Michaël Dudok de Wit's touching and powerful "Father and Daughter" is one of the greatest animated shorts ever made. And Studio Ghibli is the creative force behind some of the greatest animated films ever made. So, yes, I'm excited about The Red Turtle. Just a little.
I've seen barely more than production stills so far (which have looked amazing and done nothing to lessen my anticipation), though earlier this week, Cinematic Sound Radio shared some of Laurent Perez Del Mar's score. Both felt like snippets; not even real appetizers.
Now, thanks to /Film's Angie Han, I have a trailer to absorb. And it's wonderful. Han, who has seen the film, notes that "the story and art are deceptively simple," but also notes that "it’s funny and sad and moving for reasons I can’t quite put into words." The trailer really captures a peculiar and under-represented (in Hollywood, at least) vibe -- perhaps best described as "ineffable and yet simple," if that's an actual thing -- but it also captures a lot more excitement/tension than I was anticipating before today.
Cannot wait! (Also, it's not being released in the US until 2017, so it's not quite fair to say it's my "most anticipated" for this year. So let's just say "Most Anticipated Until Further Notice.")