The 94th Academy Awards will be held on March 27 in Hollywood. Among the films nominated for the Best Animate Feature award is Luca.
Reviews
By Erika Macrina / Matthew staff || Edited by Ilenia Reale
Luca like most of the other nominees in this category belongs to Disney and Pixar. The studios indeed have released the movie on Disney’s digital platform, Disney + due to the pandemic restrictions, in June 2021.
The story is set in Portorosso, a fictional city inspired by the five ancient seaside villages of the Ligurian Riviera of Levante, namely Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.
The protagonist is Luca Paguro, who gives the name at the movie. Luca is not just a normal child; he is also a sea monster who lives under the sea with his family. Sea monsters have the power to turn into humans once they are on dry land, but some of them live in fear of human culture, and that’s why Luca never adventures himself outside the water.
Luca is about a friendship between the protagonist and Alberto Scorfano, a free-spirited sea monster who lives out of the water, but also far from humans. Their bond becomes stronger because the two friends have both a secret identity to hide in Portorosso. The movie takes the viewer into their beautiful adventures while both go through a personal growth. Luca and Alberto also make new friends like Giulia Marcovaldo and her father, overcoming all prejudices they have about humans but at the same time, making humans stop being afraid of them.
The director Enrico Casarosa did an incredible job in taking the viewer into the Italian Riviera’s atmosphere. Of course, the fact that Casarosa is from that area makes a big difference. Watching Luca, one can suddenly smell salty sea air, feel the heat of the sun, and taste all kinds of pasta.
Luca is already a success. The movie has grossed a total of almost $50 million dollars, and we can bet it will also win the award for best animated feature film of this year.
thematthewrome.com 