Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

A story about bravery and doing whatever it takes to conquer the impossible, "Le Gouffre" is a great short lm that is sure to get your blood pumping.Released in 2014, "Le Gouffre" is the first animated short produced by Lightning Boy Studio, an up and coming Canadian creative team. Translated "The Gulf," this short is about two travelers and their determination to build a bridge over an extremely wide canyon. The story sounds simple, and it is, but its simplicity counters the depth of the cinematography, just as the travelers' simple goal is countered with the vastness of their wide barrier. In order to create a simple plot, there is no dialogue in the short, as it relies heavily on music and action to push the plot. This is very effective, as the audience is left to ponder what the characters' motives exactly are for building this bridge. The music is epic instrumental that rises and falls with each beautifully animated scene, creating suspense when needed. The plot is driven solely by what the characters do in their situation, not how they verbally interact.The music and lack of dialogue both point the audience toward its theme. Without giving away the ending, this lm focuses on the power of friendship and overcoming obstacles. There is not much distracting the audience from really thinking about these ideas, and that seems to be exactly what the Lightning Boys wanted. At the end of the lm, the theme is meant to be ambiguous, which is aimed to speak to each individual person in the audience. The ending is where the short shines most.I am really excited to see what comes next for Lightning Boy Studio. They have definitely crossed a bridge in the right direction toward their dreams, and "Le Gouffre" proves that the future is bright for them. 10/10

One of the things that I like about the world of short film is that, although some will really deliver a full package to you, often it is more than good enough that the film puts its head down and focuses on doing its thing well, even if other aspects perhaps do not get much of a look in. This is the case with Le Gouffre, a film that offers very little in terms of narrative but yet draws the viewer in with a well delivered scene that builds the dramatic aspect well. Essentially two travelers come to massive gorge with seemingly no way across – a few planks of an old bridge remain, but not of any real use. While a skeptical village looks on, the two resolve to cross the bridge by building their own structure.All of this is played out in animation, without any dialogue, and without any explanation of character beyond some basic thematic things of determination, inspiration, sacrifice, and hope. The structure of the film is really just the building of this bridge, and it is played out in such a way that you are drawn into the simplicity of the tale – it is a massive obstacle but two put their hearts into making the crossing while a young girl looks on, inspired beyond her own small world. Of course the animation is the thing that will grab you from the start, because it is very impressive even before you learn it is from a group of independent students who raised the funds on Kickstarter; it looks great, has good movement and is very cinematic in what it does. However for me just as important was the music – because this is where you get drawn into the story.The credits list this as being Dan and Deryn Cullen, and they deserve a lot of credit because the score really works well to set the tone, and allow the story to build and swell in the way it does. The film may not build a story or character to draw you in, but with the music and the snappy, fast paced delivery of the events, it does it with the music and the cinematic animation. For sure this means it will not work for those looking for it to do more, but the style of delivery is very successful, and it makes for an engaging piece that delivers in the way it aims to.

The story itself is compelling and has a message that will appeal to the broadest audience of pretty much anyone in the world. Also of great interest to many will be the behind the scenes story about the story and the making of this unusual independent film by first time production group. The creative energy and artistic vision in this film is nothing less than phenomenal. It will grab your attention from head to toe with exciting action, touch your heart with dramatic impact, and make you think with deep insight of what real courage means and how people pull together in adversity. When is the last time you saw a film that did all of that, all at the same time, all in about 10 minutes? Most notable is the musical soundtrack! This is the most inspiring film score there is to hear today. Definitely put on your headphones or turn up the big speakers for this one.

Beautifully produced animation with naturalistic human movements and incredibly detailed landscape. As a crowd funded project from a small independent studio it is an outstanding achievement.Moving and inspiring, it tells the story of two young traveller's attempt to cross a deep impassable gorge and the way they become involved with local community.The end of the story line is really touching, emotionally charged and surprising. There is only a tiny amount of dialogue and so the music is an extremely important part of the story telling. The score, by UK based Dan & Deryn Cullen, captures the atmosphere of the story line and drives the emotional content brilliantly.In particular Deryn Cullen's cello playing throughout the score is emotionally charged but subtle, never intrusive and especially touching during the closing credits.