Le Saucier
Animation, 31-Jul-2020
A world decimated by a meteor tries to put itself back together. “Le Saucier,” directed by Eric Paschal Johnson and Liana Finck, is a lovely assemblage of hand-drawn illustrations, narrated by Tom Felton telling a story of the rediscovery of some of mankind’s finest achievements. Digging through the wreckage of the old world, historians piece together music from Puccini, architects reconfigure the Giza pyramids. But no discovery is more vital or life-affirming than “the book” — five tattered pages containing recipes for the five French mother sauces, of which all other French sauces are based. Johnson, along with co-writer Conor Dooley, are the duo behind 2017’s “Observatory Blues,” in my opinion, one of the greatest short films of all time. The team has a wondrous feel for combining the epic and the absurd, the emotional and the playful. “The mind can not miss what it never knew, but the heart can ache for what it never felt.” Writer, director: Eric Paschal Johnson. Director, Illustrator: Liana Finck. Narrator, producer: Tom Felton. Writer: Conor Dooley. Animator: Emily Kundrot. Editor: Ryan Steele. Producer: Nicole Lederman. Art Director: Tanner McColl. Sound: JL Hodges, Matt Whitworth.