“By all accounts, Blaise is an acquired taste, in the best possible definition of the term.”

Growing up is not easy for anyone, but it can sometimes be even more challenging when you are not particularly popular. This is what the titular protagonist of Blaise and his family begin to realise as they attempt to navigate some of life’s more uncomfortable but inevitable challenges. Based on the comic series by Dimitri Planchon, who co-directs the film alongside Jean-Paul Guigue (with whom he also created the television series based on the exploits of the character), the film serves as a tremendous introduction to the world of Blaise, a mild-mannered teenager who is genuinely struggling to connect with the world around him. It’s made excruciatingly difficult by the fact that his parents are not as attentive as they should be, dealing with their own existential quandaries and professional concerns, which leaves the young Blaise to essentially fend for himself and takes him on quite an unconventional journey. Combining the content of the comics and television series into a single captivating narrative (which allows viewers who had never encountered Planchon’s work to understand the various nuances, since it is very accessible and bridges the gap between previous adaptations), Blaise is an endearing gem, a simple but effective animated comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, while not being afraid to touch on more challenging themes when it is appropriate.

At a glance, Blaise appears to have a lot going on, to the point where simply holding onto one of the many narrative strands that flow throughout the story seems intimidating. This is by design, since the story aims to capture the disorienting nature of growing up in circumstances that are not impossible, but certainly not easy to navigate either. Blaise was evidently not targeted at younger viewers, but rather those currently working through their adolescence, or for older audiences who will likely reflect on those treacherous years through some combination of nostalgia and discomfort, which appears to be the exact reaction that the directors are hoping to achieve. The message at the heart of the film is clear: the world can be a challenging and confusing place for anyone who doesn’t fit the neat compartments into which we’re all categorised, and anyone who dares to be different is bound to face some hostilities along the way, especially in their formative years. The protagonist in Blaise is a young man who has essentially been left to his own devices as a result of parents who are not negligent, but rather have bigger priorities, which leads the film to question the extent to which we are the product of our environment, exploring the role upbringing plays in our development and how we see the world. In the process, it captures something unusual, examining the protagonist’s journey through a story that is guided by its frank irreverence, rather than entirely defined by it.

The best way to describe Blaise and its narrative intentions would be as a story about someone who is perhaps the only level-headed person in his immediate surroundings, grappling with an outrageously dysfunctional family on one hand, and navigating a world that seems entirely nonsensical. The execution is what sets this film apart, with Planchon and Guigue working to keep the spirit of the original comics and television show, while also elevating it into something slightly larger in scope. The animation is likely what the viewer notices first – vaguely photorealistic images that quickly cross over the uncanny valley and become intentionally grotesque, reflecting the sense of absurdity that drives the story. The design of these characters, who look more like an approximation of real people than actually authentic, is unsettling but oddly hypnotic, immediately catching our attention and drawing us into this unconventional world. We never get used to the odd style, which seems to be an intentional choice, since it all relates to the tone of the film, which is an uncomfortable and slightly confusing depiction of a young man working his way through life on his own terms. The offbeat tone supports the more abstract visual style, while also providing a lot of sincerity, since this is ultimately still a story that will resonate with audiences, only with a more unconventional execution that ties everything together and makes the film so wonderfully intriguing.

By all accounts, Blaise is an acquired taste, in the best possible definition of the term. This is not a film designed to appeal to everyone (and despite its youthful story and quirky animation, this is not a family-oriented film by any means), but rather to be enjoyed by those with a penchant for the absurd and unconventional style of storytelling that the directors have explored over the years. It is a very strange film, yet Blaise never allows its eccentricities to stand in the way of the quietly poignant coming-of-age story about a young man attempting to make sense of his surroundings, seeking a place in a world that seems openly hostile to anyone who doesn’t adhere to the status quo. Beneath its peculiar but unique animation style and often wacky, off-the-wall humour, Blaise is a deeply human film that may seem unnatural on the surface, but has a sincerity that can’t be fabricated. It’s not afraid to approach more serious material, whether through looking at the challenging moments faced by the protagonists or in the occasional bit of darkly comical absurdity which reminds us that this is not a film with any intention to be traditional. Yet it all comes together beautifully, making for a bold and engaging gem of a film which may not always make sense and which proudly abandons all logic, in favour of something truly touching and undeniably unique.