First off, my love affair with Luc Besson and his films began when I first saw La Femme Nikita in the early 90's and has continued ever since. I still prefer his action films to anything else he does, but when his name is attached to a film (even just as a producer), I typically pay attention. Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart is a very different film than his typical action movie, but it is an interesting film nonetheless.

Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart is an animated film reminiscent of something Tim Burton might have a hand in; that is, the animation is quite dark and fantastical as you can see for yourself in the trailer. The characters have somewhat disproportionately large heads and the world they live in is rather unusual, sporting a steampunk vibe, even though it is 19th Century Edinburgh, Scotland.

The film begins on the coldest day the world has even known. Unfortunately, Jack's mother is near to giving birth to him and as the countryside ices over, she makes her way to the top of a mountain where a midwife/witch named Madeleine (Barbara Scaff) resides. Madeleine is able to deliver the baby, but due to the extreme cold, he is born with a frozen solid heart of ice and she must act quickly if she is going to save the infant's life. A tinkerer at heart, she inserts a small cuckoo clock inside of him and it does the trick, but he must always abide by three important rules: 1) Don't touch the hands of the clock; 2) Don't lose your temper; and 3) Don't ever fall in love. Easier said than done.

The boy's mother slips out in the night and leaves him to Madeleine to raise and for 10 long years, he lives atop the mountain, sheltered from society while his mother tinkers about with her companions, two wacky sisters, Luna and Anna, and Arthur, a man whose spine has been replaced by Madeleine with a zylophone. On Jack's (Orlando Seale) 10th birthday, he insists his mother take him into town and she relents against her better judgment, only to have the boy bump into a lovely young near-sighted singer named Miss Acacia (Samantha Barks), so named because when she gets frightened, her skin becomes covered with acacia thorns. The two are instantly smitten with one another, but Madeleine spirits him back to the mountaintop before any permanent harm can be done. Having had a taste of the town, Jack insists upon going to school, in the hopes of once again meeting up with Miss Acacia, and it is here that his troubles begin. The school bully is a dark-natured, imposing boy named Joe (Harry Sedhegi) who makes it his mission to torment Jack for the next four long years. When a tragic accident occurs, Jack is forced to leave home, so he goes off in search of Miss Acacia, and on the road he meets a magician and would-be film inventor named Méliès (Stephane Cornicard) and together, they head to Andalusia in search of the elusive girl who has stolen Jack's heart. Will he find her and will she remember him? Will the love he so strongly desires be his demise? You'll have to watch Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart yourself to see.

What instantly struck me about Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart was the music done by French band Dionysos. The background music is absolutely fantastic and I love how the sounds of the cuckoo-clock are incorporated within the songs. There are also many songs that the main characters sing and these are a bit different from the background music and make me think of something that would come of a collaboration between David Bowie and Sweeney Todd. It's a bit odd, to say the least. Jack will encounter quite a few peculiarities on his journey from Jack the Ripper himself to a bevy of unusual folk when he finally ends up at a freak show of sorts. Even though this film is rated PG and is an animated movie, I don't recommend it for young children as it does have some suggestive themes that are a bit peculiar and there are some frightening scenes as well. Themes such as death and loss are profusely woven throughout the film and it's just not something for young children, despite how entrancingly beautiful the film is.

Special features include featurettes on most of the major characters from the film, providing some background and insight into them, plus a short making-of that talks about how author/director/actor/musician Mathias Malzieu collaborated with Luc Besson and Virginie Besson-Silla to transform this French story and concept album by Dionysos (of which Malzieu is the lead singer) into a feature film. It is interesting to watch, but everything is in French with English subtitles, so be aware.

I really enjoyed Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart. It's a gorgeous film, whether you watch it on the included DVD or Blu-ray, but seeing it on Blu-ray makes everything visually pop off the screen. The tiny droplets of ice, the frosty sheen on the land, the textures on everything, and even the tears and eyelashes of the main characters are truly enchanting. The film is unique and well acted and introduces the viewer into a strange and unique world filled with love and heartache. If you are looking for something different from the typical animated film, definitely check out Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart.