By John Corrado
The latest movie from Cartoon Saloon, the Irish animation studio behind beloved modern films like Wolfwalkers, The Breadwinner, Song of the Sea and The Secret of Kells, Julián is very sweet and charming story about a little boy who dreams of being a mermaid.
The film centres around the titular Julián (voiced by Knyght Darius Jack), a sensitive 7-year-old kid who goes to stay with his Dominican grandmother (Milcania Diaz-Rojas) in Brooklyn for the summer, while his father is away on business.
The shy Julián begins to come out of his shell when he encounters a trio of girls who are preparing to march in the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. He becomes enamoured with the girls and desperately wants to fit in with them, by having his own colourful costume to wear in the parade.
Based on the children’s book Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love, Julián finds poignant undertones in how it explores the relationship between the artistic Julián and his more traditional abuela, who is learning to accept him on his terms. While there is a deeper subtext to the film regarding what it could be about (i.e., an allegory for gender identity), it’s also subtle enough that any kid who feels like an outsider can relate to it.
If the story can feel a bit simple for older audiences, director Louise Bagnall keeps her adaptation short and sweet. The main appeal of the film is the lovely picture book animation, as Julián’s world comes alive around him, with the animators drawing from a rich colour palate to pay tribute to Brooklyn’s vibrant Latino culture. The film itself feels like a small triumph of cultural influences coming together, being a co-production of Luxembourg, Ireland, Canada and Denmark, that is presented in English and Spanish.
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