Andrew, I think the best parts are actually the improvised tellings of the story from the 3 main narrators. I don’t see it so much as “wacky” narration, but a method of conveying how strong the story is in that it can survive re-tellings that mix up details. I suppose some may find that an offensive part of the film, but it shows that the main thrust of the legend stays alive as it gets handed down through the generations.

And the music is wonderful.

I did like the movie a lot, but I didn’t care much for the modern vignette, which of course turns out to be somewhat autobiographical on the part of the Director/Animator.

I love the vocal stylings of Annette Hanshaw and the visuals are to die for in this movie. The shifting images of Rama and Sita underscore just how many times those stories have been told and morphed over time. I guess Paley was striving for universal with the ‘modern’ thread, but it felt clumsily added in a way to stretch the movie out to feature length as much as anything else. I found myself groaning ever time it cut to New York or San Francisco.

Other than that, what a fabulous film.

So I watched the first 35 minutes or so (will have to finish later) and I’m not sure what I think about it. I love the music and I like the different types of animation utilized, but I don’t like the way the story is told. I don’t like how un-serious the thing is taken. Not that the movie has to be a super melo-drama, but it’s almost told like a joke. I get that it’s a fable, but the “three people around the water cooler” re-telling the story and not really knowing exactly what they’re talking about and making jokes, etc. Then some of the characters and voices are depicted like whacky caricatures as though they’re on Adult Swim or something. Humor is fine (see Persepolis), but I don’t like the whackiness of the whole thing.

Still, I do like it for the other reasons. Again, the music is awesome.