Klaus (2019)

Directed by Sergio Pablos. Starring (voices) Jason Schwartzman, Rashida Jones, J. K. Simmons, Norm Macdonald, Joan Cusack, Will Sasso, Neda Margrethe. [PG]

The spoiled, self-absorbed son (Schwartzman) of the postmaster general is sent to the distant island village of Smeerensburg to establish a mail route—fail, and he’ll be cut off from his family’s wealth. The town is a bleak and hostile place, stemming from an age-old feud between two families, but the grim mood starts to turn toward cheer after the new postman befriends a reclusive toymaker (Simmons), and they start delivering toys to children who send letters. Don’t be fooled by the glib “Santa Claus origin story” summary—it’s much richer, funnier, and more moving than such a description suggests. The idiosyncratic humor can catch you off guard, and its poignancy is genuinely affecting, but what makes this a particularly sublime treat is the strikingly distinctive animation style. The final act goes through the motions as far as the plot is concerned, with the climactic clash undone by weak villainous motivation for the heads of the feuding families, but the pic is otherwise quite special, and a worthy addition to the (sadly short) list of contemporary holiday films that can be embraced by the whole family. First feature film from the Netflix Animation studio; it swept the Annie Awards with seven wins, including Best Animated Feature.

80/100