"“A feature that should resonate with both children and their parents alike...”"

From the directors that brought us the somewhat innovative A Town Called Panic, Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar (alongside newcomer Benjamin Renner) return to basics with their latest - and far more subtle and conventional - animation Ernest & Celestine.

We delve into a world where bears occupy the streets of France, while mice have their own community beneath the ground in the sewers, with both species terrified of the other, avoiding each other at all costs. However, when a curious young mouse called Celestine (Pauline Brunner) decides to venture up into the world and find out about bears for herself,  she meets the gentle Ernest (Lambert Wilson), as an unlikely bond is then formed between the two.

Ernest himself is a rogue bear, and one that continuously finds himself on the wrong side of the local police force. With barely a penny to his name, the musician performs on the streets for money, scavenging for food wherever he can. However once he meets Celestine, the innocent mouse turns his life around for the better, as both animals realise the other isn't quite so scary as they had previously envisaged.

Ernest & Celestine tackles the strong theme of prejudice sincerely and poignantly. The protagonists may be a bear and a mouse but in effect they are just two creatures not supposed to be together, simply because society says that they shouldn't be. A familiar theme in film, but this is wonderfully depicted, stripping somewhat of a traditional narrative down to it's bare basics, succinctly accessible for it's young, target audience.

To compliment the theme of prejudice, there is wonderfully playful tone to this picture, with a plethora of charming and sweet moments – many of which are witty too. There is also an incredibly French atmosphere emanating from this picture, as the animation and imagery combined with that evanescent Parisian charm and swagger makes for a wonderfully French feeling production. Not to mention the brilliant outfits Ernest wears. Never has a bear looked so good in a fedora hat and scarf.

The animation itself is beautiful too, with a soft, water-colour look to it – again adding to the French ambiance as a painting method brought to prominence in Europe thanks to French artists such as Granet and Delacroix. The film makers have created a brilliant fantasy world, and although it appears the only inhabitants on earth are bears and mice, you fully adhere to it, as they capture the essence of both of the creatures characteristics wonderfully, allowing for their respective communities to seem imaginable.

Ernest & Celestine is simply animation at its best, as it's easy to interpret, tells a poignant and endearing story, and certainly looks the part too, as a feature that should resonate with both children and their parents alike. Where can you possibly go wrong?