Leo (2023)
Leo is film I never thought would bring up so much in me, after three minutes I didn't even think I'd finish it.
On holiday, after a success watching Liam Neeson’s surprisingly fun The Ice Road (bozo action but bloody entertaining), we looked for another film. I love my girlfriend and she loves animated films about animals so when Leo popped up on Netflix I said sure, I’m a benevolent guy, it’s got this fresh new comedian Adam Sandler and the acid tongued Bill Burr in it, let’s give it a go. Then they started singing.
An animalimation about ageing class pets; Sandler’s titular lizard Leo and his long time captive pal Squirtle (the turtle) have an existential crisis. As Leo approaches seeing his scaly maker he yearns for experiences outside the realm of his glass cage in an ever changing classroom, where kids come and go and he and Squirtle do little but see the same curriculum. What evolves, very quickly, is endearing and meaningful.
The opening few minutes of Leo are so much fun I stopped fearing the songs. In fact, the songs are fantastic. Yes, it helps that they’re short and don’t interrupt too much, but they are very, very funny and that’s a sign of greatness. I know Adam Sandler isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I think he can be fantastic and his performance as a curmudgeonly but wistful chameleon who wants to make more of what time he has left is a wonderful mix of classic Sandler and the dramatic self reflection he can do, too.
Leo tells a children's story from a different perspective, or rather two perspectives, very cleverly and a commendable way of communicating a number of difficult issues at both ends of the circle (straight line) of life. Older people and the elderly fascinate me way more than a baby learning its first words; their experiences, what they've learned, what they got wrong, wish they'd done, is much more valuable than how to change a nappy. Although that does happen with the elderly too, sometimes.
I’ve been fortunate to have strong relationships with a lot of older people, family members and so on. It is a privilege to be around people with more life experience than you; you have to listen, and in some cases filter, because let’s face it my uncle Bobby was funny as fuck but you never got him going on politics. A large part of life is accepting death, and sure that's a morbid way of looking at it but I don't want kids and I am pretty sure I'll die*.
The difficulty in knowing the days count away from, not towards, life Leo confronts in a family friendly way.
All of Leo is exceptionally astute, clever, sharp and balanced. Comedic and emotional minutiae both verbal and visual spill from the tellybox. Gags pitched at every level of understanding. My girlfriend and I both loved it and, sit down for this, but one song might become one of my all time favourites- up there with Uncle Fucka and Dracula's Lament. The whole film is brilliant.
Bedsit it?
Leo blew me away. Side splitting, tear jerking, exciting and the best film I’ve seen in a while. I never thought I’d have a night where I was surprised another Liam Neeson vehicle was great was then trumped by a family musical about a lizard. One of the films of the year so far for me, I can't wait to watch it again. 9/10 *At 95 in a gunfight, obviously.
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