Cinema has not been kind to taxidermists.
Norman Bates is the classic example amongst a small sampling. Ernée Bisquit is nothing like him, except for his extreme shyness and
awkwardness around women. Spurred by an unlikely catalyst, the sad sack Bisquit
takes drastic steps to rejuvenate his drab existence in Adam Elliot’s Claymation
short, Ernie Biscuit, which screens
during the 2015 Montreal World Film Festival.
Bisquit was always a bit of an outsider, but
it was a cruel childhood prank that rendered him deaf. He inherited his family’s
Parisian taxidermy shop, but he never had much passion for it. The last time he
felt a deep personal connection was with a young Jewish girl, whose family
lived in the flat next to Bisquits’ in early 1940s. Tragically, they were never
seen again after the infamous round-up, but Bisquit still cares for her pet
duck. Realizing taxidermy is out of fashion in 1966, Bisquit impulsively sells
his shop intending to relocate to Venice, where he and his first and only love
dreamed of visiting.
However, Bisquit and his duck get on the wrong
plane, ending up in Australia instead. Complications and misadventures
necessarily ensue, including the Australianization of his name. Yet, Bisquit
also manages to meet a flesh-and-blood woman. She has plenty of issues too, but
that might just make it perfect, provided he survives the rest of the chaos
engulfing him.
If Biscuit
qualifies for Academy Award consideration, it should be the odds on
favorite. Elliot already has one Oscar for his short Harvey Krumpet as well as considerable name recognition amongst the
animation community for his feature film Mary and Max. His style is instantly recognizable, particularly his sensitively grotesque
characters. Clearly, Elliot has a keen empathy for underdogs like Bisquit, but
there is still a sense of playfulness throughout Biscuit. Somehow, the film manages to be consistently funny and
genuinely touching, without ever getting shticky or saccharine, which is a neat
trick really.
