Flora and Ulysses, review of the new Disney + comedy

Flora and Ulysses

Is cynicism really necessary nowadays? Or is there still room for magic and hope? Try to answer these questions Flora and Ulysses, a comedy for the whole family available on Disney + starting February 19. Based on the novel “Flora e Ulisse. The illustrated adventures ”written by Kate DiCamillo, this family oriented title works thanks to a simple but direct script, in full Disney style. At the same time, the film winks at the general public by immersing the story in a nerdy universe full of references to cinecomics, drawing sharply, but never intrusive, from this goose that lays the golden eggs. Get ready, this time no superhero will save the world, but a little squirrel will save the love of a family.

Flora and Ulysses, cynicism and hope

Flora is a 10 year old girl , very smart, resourceful and with a passion for comics. Unfortunately she lives in a complicated family situation, due to the recent separation of her parents. Her mother is a writer of romance novels in decline, once very famous and awarded the enviable Jack & Rose award, an Oscar-style statuette with the features of the protagonists of Titanic. Failing to sell his works, his father had to leave his beloved cartoonist job, and now he is a salesman in a shopping center, harassed by his ignoble superior. Right from the start, it is clear that love in the family is not lacking, but has simply been lost and must be found again. The causes of the separation are not investigated, but there is nothing to explain, because those people love each other and must be together. And when there seems to be no more hope, it will be the most unsuspected of superheroes to untie the skein and strengthen the union.

The powers are well hidden until the moment of need.

And so Flora, a self-styled cynic who merely observes a world emptied of magic, finds herself in front of an unexpected scene: a small squirrel is sucked by the neighbor's garden robot. She immediately rushes to her rescue, giving him a gentle two-finger heart massage and a very tender mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. In this way we make the acquaintance of Ulysses, apparently a harmless rodent that hides surprising powers. He understands our language, flies, has extraordinary strength and even types. Would you like to face it? He has one weakness, an unstoppable passion for food, especially donuts. Flora and Ulysses immediately form a strong alliance, and this meeting will kick off a series of hilarious adventures, which will forever change the stories of the protagonists and the way they savor life.

The worst trap for a superhero is a banquet.

The strength of the cliché

The film makes simplicity his workhorse. There are no unexpected twists or sudden upheavals: everything goes delicately towards the final happy ending. This classic approach does not tire the viewer, because Flora and Ulysses is consistent with his soul from the opening minutes to the end credits. It happens exactly what you expect, and that's okay. Disney, once again, demonstrates how to package a successful product it is not necessary to amaze, but it is enough to follow the recipe with class and diligence.

The old is the new new.

And this "pact of simplicity" made with the public turns out to be an intelligent strategic choice, able to pass a not very inspired script into the cavalry, especially in comic moments. The shrewd smile of the more adult audience is found thanks to a winning and very current expedient, namely the myriad of quotes from the nerd and sci-fi world. From the stentorian landing of Ulysses to Iron Man, to his uncoordinated spin like Spider-Man, passing through the flight of an X-Wing built with pens and paper clips: it is objectively a very fun game to catch as much of it as possible.

Family 1.0

The choice of adopting a conception of a nuclear family, made up of mother, father and son, is slightly perplexing. This applies not only to the protagonists, but also to the supporting actors: the only model of happiness proposed is the starting one. Pixar in recent years has been bravely overcoming the obstacle, up to the very recent Onward - Beyond the magic, where different but equally convincing choices are proposed: rebuilt families, adoption by homosexual couples and so on. In a title like Flora and Ulysses, with a markedly pedagogical stamp, a more daring effort in this direction would have been appreciated. The family is a safe place for everyone.

From a technical point of view, the interpretation of the newcomer Matilda Lawler in the role of Flora is very good. A deserved applause also to Danny Pudy and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, respectively in the role of the tragicomic and hyperbolic antagonist and of the sympathetic helper suffering from hysterical blindness. It is their sequences that give the most successful moments of comedy. Finally, the flawless and harmonious use of CGI and slow-motion works, as well as the director's choice of interspersing the film with real comic tables.

In conclusion

Flora and Ulisse is a comedy for the whole family, which entertains kindly without the will to pose great existential reflections. It reminds us how even cynicism rationally leads to hope. The cynic gives up hope, and limits himself to observing: but it is precisely by observing that we find the magic that the world is imbued with. We cannot fail to see it, especially with the love of the family by our side. And a squirrel with superpowers.

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