The real reindeer of Lapland
Ailo’s Journey (G, 92 mins) Directed by Guillaume Maidatchevsky Reviewed by James Croot ★★★★
Want an antidote to the traditional festive family fare? This French-Finnish nature documentary might be just the ticket, but it comes with a warning – this might just Dasher and Blitzen your children’s perceptions of Santa’s cadre of caribou.
Shot with impressive intimacy, Guillaume Maidatchevsky’s debut feature charts the first year in the life of Lapland reindeer Ailo.
Faced with challenging conditions and countless ruthless predators, the calf has just minutes to learn how to stand, a few more to walk and a few more to run and swim. It’s little wonder that half of all reindeer die before they reach 12 months, as narrator Donald Sutherland gloomily imparts.
The star of The Hunger Games and Invasion of the Body Snatchers is clearly having a ball.
His honeyed gravel tones add greatly to the spectacular footage as he gasps and chortles, displaying paternalistic concern towards the doco’s stars and its audience.
‘‘Tonight, one member of the herd will be missing,’’ he growls, no doubt sending a shiver down many a viewer’s spine.
Fortunately, while not shying away from peril, Journey also doesn’t dwell on it, or break out the super slo-mo so beloved by the BBC and others.
Indeed, it feels more like a throwback to the Disney wildlife movies of the 1950s, with its warm, witty voiceover and comedic characters (a white stoat and an arctic fox are the standouts). Sixty years on, though, lemmings still seem to be getting a raw deal, with Sutherland describing them as ‘‘the chicken nugget of the Arctic’’.
Disney fans will also notice the similarities between this and that other tale of a ‘‘reindeer prince’’. In one amazing piece of footage, this real-life Bambi mimics a hare, seemingly in order to spark a friendship.
Throw in a Game of Thronesesque soundtrack, a menacing wolverine and some chilling climate change exemplars, and the result is a surprisingly captivating watch.