Pig In A Poke

The titular pig is a member of a ventriloquist act that's fallen on hard times. We see a series of auditions which don't go terribly well, and the pig suggests a few things that might improve the act. They range from the ridiculous to the uncomfortable, including a turn in the glamour world that isn't so much grotesque as pornographic - there's not much romance cavorting in front of a coin-operated shutter.

The animation is crisp, the character design entertaining. Matthie Van Eeckhout and Mark Eacersall have written and directed an entertaining little film, the garrulous swine and his looming companion don't work well together in a way that makes perfect sense. Michel Muller does the voicework, but it's the animation by Van Eeckhout that convinces us those mellifluous tones would issue from such a puppet.

This isn't the only act to have been dominated by the puppet. There's at least one Batman villain, never mind those of Magic or Dead Silence. Scenes in a charcuterie are scary without being terrifying, and the quality of the background design cannot be overstated. Indeed, there's at least one scene-framing and matte-painting joke that is echoed in Lucky Luke, but that's likely more to do with a shared sense of humour than direct homage.

Visually excellent, Pig In A Poke is helped by the soundwork of Sammy Bardet's and Thierry Malet's music. A variety of tones are well served by changes to character design and the score. This is an entertaining picture, and when we tell you to see it it isn't being mis-sold.