Wrinkles is a wonderfully comic, irreverent and moving animated tale of friendship, resistance and survival in a retirement home, based on the acclaimed comic Arrugas by Spanish artist Paco Roca. Increasingly lost in his own memories, as well as a growing burden to his son, Emilio finds himself set adrift in the new world of a ‘facilitated care unit’. Taken under the wing of his roommate, the smooth-talking Miguel who daily transforms their stark landscape into one of magic surrealism, Emilio is introduced to a fantastical cast of fellow life-travellers on one last great journey.
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Paco Roca explains the inspiration for his most well-known work:
‘Wrinkles arose from a need to discuss old-age, a scarcelytouched topic in literature or cinema. Upon collecting his Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Michael Caine lamented the lack of leading roles for his age. In today´s society, old-age is like being a supporting actor and so Wrinkles reflects what the elderly are feeling, estranged from the starring roles. I haven´t really made anything up and the real anecdotes are so good they couldn´t be outdone. Emilio [the lead role] is the father of a good friend of mine. I also met a lady who spent all day sat at a window convinced she was on a train and to get her to eat something she had to be told she was in the dining coach.’
Director Ignacio Ferreras, an animator on The Illusionist, is a big admirer of Paco Roca’s work and sees Wrinkles as a great collaboration between filmmakers and artist: ‘I recall a conversation with a friend who is an animation film director who said: you spend five or six years working on an animated feature film, then you watch it and think: I´ve wasted five years of my life on this. I´d be happy making at least one really good film and that would make it worthwhile. I am confident that Wrinkles will be my worthwhile film.’
Recommended rating: 12A.
