Benny – Allein im Wald (2011)

Benny – Allein im Wald: Directed by Alain Tixier. With Rebecca Hall, Luke Evans, Claudine André, Sandrine Bonnaire. The critically important work by renowned naturalist Claudine Andre to save the endangered bonobo apes of the Congo is presented in this visually stunning feature film.

“Okay, letu0026#39;s all agree that voicing dialogue for a young ape is sappy. Itu0026#39;s something maybe only a Tim Allen can pull off. But once you get into the mood, this movie is a superb tale of hope for a virtually unknown — and endangered — member of the ape family. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFollowing the capture, recovery, and sanctuary life of Beny, a bonobo whose mother was shot by poachers, the movie both moved me and made me laugh, all while enlightening me on the traits that make bonobos special. I think the writers did an excellent job, for the most part, at interpreting the bonobo behaviors, to make it real for viewers. I was bothered that they referred to apes as u0026quot;monkeysu0026quot; several times, but that may have been an (ill-advised) effort to relate to an animal that people recognize. (The great apes — gorillas, chimps, orangutans, and bonobos — are not monkeys.)u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eClaudine, the human u0026quot;motheru0026quot; who started the sanctuary, is indeed an angel. She is beautiful, and I loved watching the bonobos love her. Apes can tell the difference between friends and frauds, and the beautiful shots of the bonobos playing with her show the strong bonds between them.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is a lovely movie for children. The producers made a deliberate decision, it appears, to skip over all the bonobo sex stuff, and focus on u0026quot;hugs.u0026quot; Note, they will have to be old enough to read quickly, because the movie is in French, with English subtitles.”