Forest Whitaker lends his voice to the English version of 2014 Academy Award Nominee “Ernest & Celestine,” which hits theaters in LA this Friday, Feb. 28. 

“Ernest & Celestine” was directed by Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar, and Benjamin Renner and written by Daniel Pennac. It stars Forest Whitaker, Mackenzie Foy, Lauren Bacall, Paul Giamatti, William H. Macy, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, and Jeffrey Wright.

Over the past few years, animated films have been evolving to a level higher than anyone could have imagined. Disney has been going through a revival period with their princess tales, while Dreamworks has begun setting their bar with “How To Train Your Dragon.” What most people are unaware of is that animation films in foreign countries are just as established in terms of visuals. But when it comes to storytelling, they could be above and beyond what any American film can present. Released in France, “Ernest & Celestine” is a simple story — a bear and a mouse become friends and create havoc within their communities. When looking deeper though, what you find is an engrossing tale created by (directors) and their take on societal issues that are far too relevant to ignore. What makes “Ernest & Celestine” different from any other film is that it never feels heavy handed and it maintains its childish charm throughout the whole movie.

Celestine (Foy) is a young mouse who lives in the world of rodents…which just so happens to be underground. She resides in the orphanage, where the caretaker (Bacall) tells stories about the “evil” bears who live above ground (like humans). Celestine is clearly unfazed by these stories as we see her drawing peaceful and beautiful pictures of bears. To her dislike, she’s preparing to study dentistry soon–the typical life path of most mice. To prepare, she has an internship where she (as well as other young mice) must go above ground and steal the teeth from the bears. One night, she gets caught by a pair of bears (voiced by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally) who chase her out of the house and unfortunately she falls into a garbage can. Trapped and alone, she ends up falling asleep since she has no other options.

Ernest (Whitaker) is a bear who lives on in his own in a house far away from the city. He doesn’t have an actual job and finds himself using his musical abilities to try and get people to give him some money. Causing more of a ruckus than anything else, Ernest has his musical instruments taken away as he’s given a summons–which he eats. Hungry and broke, he rampages on the streets digging through garbage cans hoping to find something to eat. With his luck, he finds Celestine sleeping peacefully…but she wakes up before he can eat her. Instead, she directs him to a candy shop where he can indulge himself and she helps Ernest break in. From here, a friendship is born and the two get into a whole lot of trouble together.

Right off the bat, you can tell “Ernest & Celestine” is unlike any animated film created in the states. The animation and the characters just feel so different and unique, yet they feel so alive. Credit has to be given to the American voice actors added to the project (“Ernest & Celestine” was released in France, so obviously it had a French voice cast originally).  As the two main roles, the connection between Forest Whitaker and Mackenzie Foy can be felt right away. Foy especially is phenomenal in her voice role and can really tap into the innocence of Celestine, while still packing a whole lot of feisty-ness as well. The chemistry between Whitaker and Foy makes for an adorable friendship on screen between a “terrifying” bear and a “scary” mouse.

The great part about “Ernest & Celestine” is the message that it’s sending to its audience and how well it tackles the subject. At the main core of the movie, “Ernest & Celestine” tackles prejudice and this idea that you can’t be friends with another person just because they’re different from you. Celestine doesn’t care that Ernest is a big, bad bear…she believes all of the tales about how bears eat mice are false. Ernest doesn’t care that Celestine is a mouse he found in a garbage can, he still cares for her as if she’s his adopted daughter. Prejudice isn’t the only thing Ernest & Celestine take on though…the two lead characters are also outsiders to their own races for having different dreams they want to follow. Ernest wants to break from his family tradition of being a judge while Celestine wants to be an artist instead of the usual dentist job that mice are given.

Full of inspiring messages and themes, “Ernest & Celestine” isn’t just an extraordinary film, but an important one for children and even adults of all ages and races to watch. For a wonderful 80 minutes, we’re brought to a world unlike any other. While “Ernest & Celestine” is a story we may have seen before, it’s tough to say if it’s ever been done this well. It’s not just centered on the idea that friendship can conquer all, but it focuses on two individuals who are different in so many ways except the ones that matter. “Ernest & Celestine” care for each other and accept the fact that they may be different from any of the other bears or mice…and they’re okay with that. The trio of directors have created a touching, humorous tale of friends from different places and has the potential to be the true wild card in the Best Animated Picture race in this years Oscars.

The film opens in New York on March 14, followed by national expansion to all major US markets.

-Joshua Kaye