Chicken For Linda! is a joyeux animated feast for the eyes and soul

When it comes to animation, you can always rely on the French. They’ve been innovating and experimenting with the form since the dawn of motion pictures. From magic lantern presentations at the turn of the 20th century to modern works of art like The Triplets Of Belleville and Persepolis, French filmmakers have been pushing the envelope of what’s possible with the latest technological developments. That’s a tough legacy to live up to, but one that Chicken For Linda! gleefully embraces. Directors Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach (The Girl Without Hands) have created a vibrant celebration of life, food, and memory, and the intricate connections between them.

Chicken For Linda! tells the story of Paulette, a widowed mother, who has raised her eight-year-old daughter Linda mostly on her own. Linda has few memories of her father, but the one she clings to most is a dish he used to make for her—poulet aux poivrons, or chicken with peppers. When Paulette punishes Linda for something she later finds out Linda didn’t do, she feels guilty about the misunderstanding and offers to make it up to her. Linda demands chicken with peppers, a request that’s complicated by Paulette’s lack of cooking skills and a general strike that’s closed down all the shops and public transportation in town. Still, Paulette is determined to find a way to fulfill her daughter’s wish. The two of them set out together on an adventure that takes them all around town and eventually back to their apartment complex, pulling everyone they meet along the way into their chaotic quest. 

There’s a melancholy undertone that runs through the madcap antics of Chicken For Linda!‘s simple plot, a constant reminder of grief and loss. Neither mother nor daughter has fully processed it yet, but by the end of the film they’re at least a step closer. Linda wonders what happens after death, whether her father is in the dark, if he’s scared in the dark. Paulette understands, even if Linda doesn’t, that she can never give her what she truly wants: her father back. So the routine task of gathering ingredients for a special meal becomes loaded with meaning, and every setback carries added emotional weight.

Despite its straightforward goal, Chicken For Linda!‘ never quite settles into a consistent tone. That may sound like a complaint, but it isn’t. Not knowing where the story will go next keeps things interesting. It may be philosophical one minute—”Black is the night where memory fades,” the opening narration solemnly whispers to us, “Deep within, memories are hidden.”—and whimsical the next—Paulette’s sister sings a bouncy song about eating candy as a coping mechanism when she’s stressed. The animation matches these wild swings like a mood ring, subtly signaling to the audience how to feel at any given moment. 

The most distinctive design element is the use of color blocking. Each character gets their own signature color, barely contained by the rough outlines that define them—Paulette is orange, Linda is yellow, their cat is purple, friends and neighbors are red, green, and blue. It’s impressionistic in the way great illustrated children’s books can be. Chickens are represented by shapeless blobs. When the sound of kids shouting fills a courtyard we just see their mouths as splotches of color. Lights dance across the screen at night. The images are loose and fluid, yet sophisticated. It never feels stuffy or pretentious, though at times the style comes close to overwhelming the substance.

Whenever an original animated film comes along that plays with the medium in bold new ways, it should be celebrated. It shows there’s another path for animation besides the one paved with indistinguishable CG sequels from major studios. Malta and Laudenbach aren’t trying to be aggressively experimental or provocative with Chicken For Linda! They’re just doing their own thing without concern for what everyone else is doing. How refreshing. It’s quite accessible for audiences of all ages, though as of now there’s no English dub available, so non-French speakers will have to contend with subtitles. If you’re craving something light and flavorful, it may just hit the spot.

Directors: Chiara Malta, Sébastien Laudenbach
Writers: Chiara Malta, Sébastien Laudenbach
Starring: Melinée Leclerc, Clotilde Hesme, Lætitia Dosch, Alenza Dus, Scarlett Cholleton, Anaïs Weller, Estéban, Patrick Pineau, Claudine Acs
Release Date: July 2, 2024 (Digital)