Mon Juke-Box (My Juke-Box) is an animated film written and directed by Florentine Grelier and produced by Novanima. Showing as part of the 2020 Animation Spotlight short program at the Sundance Film Festival, this 15-minute film is a little movie that stole my heart. Its uniquely textured animation style and heartfelt story bring to life a sweet father/daughter relationship.

Florentine Grelier and her father Roland Grelier voice the characters of this film — a daughter and father who share a love of rock’n’roll and jukeboxes. Known as “the Jukeboxes King”, the father’s musical knowledge is so vast that he attracts tourists and can guess a song just from hearing a hum. One day, the father gives an old record to his daughter, one of her favorites from childhood, however, the record becomes jammed and the daughter must call upon her father to use his expert knowledge to fix the machine. As he repairs, the father also regales her with stories from his more formidable years and what began his love for juxboxes, in a special moment of bonding between the two.

French director Florentine Grelier brings many interesting artistic techniques to My Juke-Box brings, which crams emotion and energy into animation that feels avant-garde. The use of mixed media visuals added a liveliness to the animation — at times it looks like 2D animation, at other times, stop motion, at other times, paper cutouts — these visual aspects of the animation make My Juke-Box a dynamic feast for the eyes.

The sound design also worked to bring liveliness to the film; like the animation, the constant sound of each characters’ movements brought life to these animated characters. And, not to forget, Thomas Gallet’s hip soundtrack which harkens the good days of rock n’ roll, which is to be expected from a movie called My Juke-Box.

The jazzy beats of its musical score and lively use of color have delighted audiences at festivals, making the official selection of many and winning Best Animation Short in Bali’s 2019 Minikino Film Week. My Juke-Box is a wholesome and endearing film, teaching us to find value in history, vintage, and family.

MY RATING — 7 out of 10 ☠️

 

About the Author

Adrienne Reese is a fan of movies - the good, the bad, and the ugly - and came to the horror genre by way of getting over her fear of... everything. Adrienne also writes for the Frida Cinema, and in addition to film enjoys cooking, Minesweeper, and binge-watching Game of Thrones.