Maya, Review Title: Michel Gondry Revitalizes His Creative Essence Through Sincere Animation

      Among all the directors who transitioned from music videos to feature films during MTV's peak in the '90s, Michel Gondry stands out as the only one whose work remains heavily influenced by early pop music videos. His uniquely stylized videos for artists like Daft Punk and the White Stripes highlighted his appreciation for tactile detail, often showcasing intricate designs brought to life by his own hands—sometimes even visibly manipulating them in the process. Except for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which perfectly suited his creative style by allowing him to swiftly shift between visual concepts through the protagonist's distorted memories, Gondry's subsequent films have captured that essence only fleetingly, if at all. Many might not realize he directed the overlooked Seth Rogen film The Green Hornet, and it’s reasonable to think that his Pharrell project Golden was discarded due to a similar lack of unique identity.

      Maya, Give Me a Title, running just over an hour, is the first film by Gondry in decades that truly embodies the promise of his early short films, revitalizing his creative spirit while being a relatively minor endeavor. This collection of animated shorts was created to entertain his young daughter while they lived on different continents, inspired by one-sentence prompts she wanted to hear as stories. The broad parameters of each narrative, along with unlimited possibilities for animation—even on a handcrafted level—serve as a reminder of why his rapid imagination was so groundbreaking in the past.

      The whimsical animation returns Gondry to the most essential elements of his craft; even though Pierre Niney’s voiceover emphasizes that modern video-editing software made the animations possible, the hand-drawn character designs and diverse backgrounds exceed the capabilities of basic graphic-design tools. This is a pivotal aspect of Maya’s appeal: as the voiceover meanders through various tangents, the director's hands enter the frame, altering his creations at will. It evokes the charmingly haphazard feel of a father hastily crafting a chaotic tale for his daughter, disregarding plot logic while inventing details spontaneously, even if he had spent considerable time bringing each story to life.

      In an era where phone manufacturers promote AI technologies capable of effortlessly manipulating users' photos and videos, Gondry’s film serves as an essential critique of that impersonal advancement. Indirectly, Maya explores the idea of using technology to generate something distinctly personal, which no app can replicate with the same impact. While you may not have the same artistic abilities, neither does the generative intelligence created to assist users in realizing their wildest dreams. If you aim to create something meaningful—or simply entertain your daughter—nothing can compete with your imagination. Gondry may not possess many more tools than the audience, but even though he might excel at manifesting his most imaginative thoughts, he conveys that you don’t need extensive resources to create at his level.

      I find myself sidestepping the overall quality of the stories themselves, as my patience gradually diminished over the hour despite the variety of subjects and the brief nature of each narrative. Some tales—like a Parisian earthquake adventure or the self-referential, mockingly melancholic short inspired by his daughter’s request for him to stop making films for her—are endearingly chaotic and frequently veer off track like a worried father trying to keep his daughter engaged. However, maintaining audience interest with such rapid pacing through several consecutive shorts—even in a brief 61-minute runtime—proves to be a more challenging task that lacks cohesion. Any of these stories might be delightful if viewed individually, but racing through what could be the best of Gondry’s homemade catalog at such a swift pace causes the energy to dwindle much sooner than it should.

      I suspect that younger children with more vibrant imaginations might respond more positively. Still, despite its child-friendly nature, Maya is primarily aimed at parents. Above all, it captures a very specific period in childhood when young minds are most uninhibited and curious, a time that parents will reflect on throughout their children’s lives and often ask about, to the kids' confusion and embarrassment. We only hear from Maya in brief moments providing prompts, but the project feels like Gondry’s effort to connect with his daughter’s boundless curiosity typical of her age. As a parent, I might delight in the unabashed, childlike silliness from the perspective of someone more experienced. However, as it stands, I found myself valuing the sincere creative intent while also feeling quite fatigued.

      Maya, Give Me a Title will have its North American premiere at the New York International Children’s Film Festival on March 2 and 16.