From the blockbuster stage and screen iterations of “War Horse” to the underseen “When the Whales Came” to the recent, BAFTA-winning “Kensuke’s Kingdom,” the books of English author Michael Morpurgo have reliably made for sturdy, literate family films of a comfortingly old-fashioned stripe. That streak continues with “Lucy Lost.” A handsome and emotionally involving wartime adventure cleverly adapted from Morpurgo’s 2014 book “Listen to the Moon,” the film marks a most promising feature directing debut for French animator Olivier Clert, who brings a pleasingly cosmopolitan sensibility to a story set predominantly on Britain’s remote, tranquil Isles of Scilly.
Following a well-received premiere as a special screening in Cannes, followed by a main competition slot in Annecy, this French-language work has the potential to resonate with young audiences globally, given the right distribution and multilingual dubbing. English-language backers may be inclined toward star voice casting, but would do well to honor the rich regional specificities of the film’s setting — as Clert has done in the film’s gorgeously rendered landscapes, frequently lit like an English Romantic painting. The director was previously a creative consultant on Netflix’s “Klaus” and a storyboard artist on “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain”; “Lucy Lost” bears some tonal resemblance to the latter, though it’s more broadly accessible, with a visual style clearly influenced by vintage Studio Ghibli, particularly in its character design.
