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Consuming Spirits

Play trailer Poster for Consuming Spirits 2012 2h 16m Drama Animation Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 18 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Three residents (Robert Levy, Nancy Andrews, Chris Sullivan) of a small Rust Belt town lead sad, interconnected lives.

Critics Reviews

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Gary Goldstein Los Angeles Times 04/11/2013
3.5/5
Something more coherent, masterful - and oddly poignant - than it may initially seem. Go to Full Review
John Hartl Seattle Times 01/31/2013
3/4
An ambitious animated epic that runs well over two hours and sometimes feels more like a feat than a film. Nevertheless, it's a kind of milestone in its genre. Go to Full Review
A.A. Dowd Time Out Chicago 01/25/2013
4/5
Even if one grows impatient with the film's dovetailing tales of small-town desperation, it's hard to tire of its visual execution. Go to Full Review
Rob Thomas Capital Times (Madison, WI) 04/22/2013
4/4
Frame by frame, sketch by sketch, Sullivan has created a rich and layered world in "Consuming Spirits," one that won't easily let you go. Go to Full Review
Eric Henderson WCCO.com (Minneapolis) 02/08/2013
Akin to the Disney version of The Death of Mr. Lazarescu. Consuming Spirits has moonshine on its rotten breath, but its images are never less than intoxicating. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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02/25/2017 I give this a 86/B+. See more 10/08/2015 Consuming Spirits can't be described in a few short words because it is one of the most originally constructed movies I've seen in a while. Using different types of animation throughout, director Chris Sullivan is able to give off various atmospheres and allow his characters to gain some depth beyond their fragmented appearance. See more 09/23/2013 Amazingly creative and enthralling animation done in multiple styles and with a story that takes the whole film to unravel -- simply consuming. Definitely a worthwhile film to see for any film fan with a love of great animation or amazing stories. See more 05/04/2013 A film you've likely never heard of before and may never hear of again, "Consuming Spirits" is a labor of love (emphasis on the labor) many years in the making. An animated feature that famously took writer/director Chris Sullivan 15 years to complete, "Consuming Spirits" combines cut-out animation, traditional hand-drawn work and three-dimensional stop motion to create a visually mesmerizing fictional Midwestern town. The convoluted narrative relates the intertwined stories of a few of the denizens of this town, exploring topics such as alcohol consumption, familial devotion, extramarital affairs in a darkly comedic fashion that suits its haunting and often purposefully grotesque visuals. Some of the most memorable moments include a non-professionally approved amputation and a man gallivanting about disguised as a deer. "Consuming Spirits" could, and likely will, be considered a masterpiece by many. I think it's pulled down by its excessive length (the film clocks in at 130 minutes), but the storylines do segue together nicely at the end. On the whole, this is a meticulously crafted and admirably realized example of the storytelling capacities of traditional animation, even if the measured, hypnotic narration of protagonist Earl Gray (Robert Levy) does occasionally make your eyes droop. Read more: http://host.madison.com/daily-cardinal/entertainment/wisconsin-film-festival-recap/article_cb832ade-a8c5-11e2-ae5f-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz2SMHjtBSD See more 04/11/2013 Although the film gave me nightmares and made me want to cry afterwards, it was beautifully and meticulously crafted. The film creates both a hilarious and depressing world as a metaphor for the life of an underclass, unprivileged town whose hopes and dreams amount to merely surviving and caring for one another. These basic needs and wants can resemble our own fear of death and losing the ones we love. The entire film is a tragic reminder that life and love are both delicate and fleeting. See more 02/23/2013 A haunting, grotesquely beautiful poem of a film meditating on loss, death, regret, corruption and decay. Funny, tragic, and poignant in all the right ways. A must-see. See more Read all reviews
Consuming Spirits

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Movie Info

Synopsis Three residents (Robert Levy, Nancy Andrews, Chris Sullivan) of a small Rust Belt town lead sad, interconnected lives.
Director
Chris Sullivan
Producer
Chris Sullivan
Screenwriter
Chris Sullivan
Genre
Drama, Animation
Original Language
English
Runtime
2h 16m