Las Nogas (2023) User Reviews

Stop-Animation Wonder!

[pjqnhdsfkq · 10/10 · 20 December 2023]

If you love stop-animation, the environment (eco anything), and fantastical stories, this short is up your alley! From start to finish, the world Catya creates is colorful, vibrant and fantastic, and the story is heartwarming. It is part of a series of shorts, which are all equally fantastic. The songs can and will easily get stuck in your head, and you'll be humming them after watching, that's for sure! This short is wonderfully creative in all aspects, from the characters, to the creatures, and the sheer imagination of the world built. I think it's a wonderful close to the trilogy. I give it a 10/10.

A Truly Unique Ecological Adventure

[cblair-46966 · 10/10 · 4 December 2023]

Occasionally you encounter a vision so singular that it knocks you back. First at the New Hampshire Film Festival, and then again months later at Cucalorus Film Festival, Las Nogas stood out among the crowd as something so wholly itself, unique, and wonderfully detached from the current short film zeitgeist that it sometimes feels like a wonder that it even exists. A film that exists entirely in a universe of its own, according to its own logic, that could only have been made by a single person.

Of any short film I saw on the festival circuit this year, I think this one spent the most time rattling around inside of my brain. It is quirky, and in the quirkiness, there's a childlike innocence, characters with simple motivations and a tale that feels like a moral fable - from the innocence, there's an uncanniness, running through the veins of the stitched-together-from-corpses Homeys to the two-faced attendants administering them IVs - and a grotesqueness, in the tactile models of many of the characters (especially when they get sick, and even near death), to the ingenious stop-motion sequences of everything from a barbershop bee quartet to an almost hard-to-watch sequence where the Homeys are hooked up to a machine and slowly drained of blood - but in this grotesqueness is character, and charm, and set against the almost storybook nature of the fable, the pitch-perfect music and musical numbers, and all the wonderfully realized details of this world (The vespa montage! The double masks on the two-faced characters! Alma's huge closet of medicinal powders! And down to the smallest details, such as the doorbell attached to a string that the characters must pull outward) - emerges an eerie, uplifting, hilarious, cute, all-encompassing feeling of beauty and happiness that is truly unique. A film to make adults feel like children again, exiting the theater with a small sense of wonder, because they just discovered a new part of the universe they didn't know existed.

A Message Draped in Magic

[Bird2562 · 10/10 · 29 November 2023]

"Las Nogas" is a wonderful film, one with an important ecological message draped in the magic of Catya Plate's vision and resilience! It is a story of love and respect, on three levels: for our world, for those not like us, and for those we love. The voice cast does a marvelous job of bringing Catya's characters to life, and the musical number contained within is a welcome tribute to the early days of sound animation. With all these elements combined, this true team effort is sure to appeal to all generations, and is set to serve generations to come. The third in Catya's trilogy (see "Hanging by a Thread" and "Meeting MacGuffin") again brings the message draped in magic, and we are blessed to see how real it is!

Las Nogas - Review (2024)

[lonehorsefilms · 10/10 · 31 March 2024]

I had the joy of seeing this film three times in a six month period, and I can confidently say that each viewing was as delightful as the last. "Las Nogas" is a true gem in the realm of stop-motion animated films, captivating audiences with its charming characters, vibrant visuals, and heartfelt storytelling. Every frame of this film is crafted with meticulous detail and artistic flair. The narrative is both touching and thought-provoking, exploring environmental themes in a refreshingly original way. With its richly imaginative setting and expertly executed animation, "Las Nogas" is a testament to the power of storytelling and the boundless creativity of its creators, Catya Plate.

Weird, wonderful, and an important message

[clara-11521 · 10/10 · 22 November 2023]

This is what indie film is all about! Las Nogas taps into the ethos of what humanity is struggling with and reinterprets it into an artful story that has meaning and offers hope. The set and character designs are unlike anything out there. Each character and set are handmade with thoughtful attention to detail and the rawness of it all makes you feel more connected. Alma and Hitch, the lead characters, are delightful. In a Q&A with the director, I learned that the characters named after Alfred Hitchcock and his mastermind wife, Alma Reville. That adds charm to the back-story for all the Hitchcock fans. This story in important for youth and adults to see. Not only does it introduce many to a medium that is difficult, but also, it makes you reflect on our place as human beings. Bravo!

Masterful stop-motion film!

[sarah-lasley-1 · 10/10 · 22 November 2023]

I got to see Las Nogas at the Cucalorus Film Festival, and it was both heart-wrenching and thought-provoking. The stop-motion is beautifully crafted and richly textured, as each character and set were meticulously detailed. The world of the film is rich and expansive. Halfway through, I lost my awareness that it was done in stop-motion because I was so immersed in the narrative. I can see why the film has had such rich success. It's accessible for all, but constantly surprised me, it's playful and fun, but with a serious and important message, and in the end it left me wanting more. I look forward to seeing what's next from this filmmaker!