Submitted by the Philippines: The Missing

Eric is sort of like a Filipino Whitley Streiber, as a fellow creator, who was similarly traumatized by his experience as an alien abductee. Or was he? Maybe he was emotionally wounded by something else. Regardless, the past comes rushing back to him just when things start percolating with a co-worker in Carl Joseph E. Papa’s animated feature The Missing, which the Philippines selected as its official International Film Submission to the upcoming Academy Awards.

Eric has been carrying a torch for Carlo at the animation studio where they both work. They were about to finally have something like a date when his mother calls, asking him to check on his Uncle Rogelio, who has gone silent for an alarming period of time. On their way to a late dinner, they pop in on Rogelio, finding a fly-infested corpse in bed. While Carlo fetches help, Eric is suddenly re-abducted by the alien that previously snatched him away during his chaotic childhood.

Of course, Carlo is rather baffled by Eric’s disappearance. Unfortunately, he will apparently flake out on Carlo several more times, as the alien persistently hunts him, hoping to finish what he started years ago. However, viewers can discern perhaps something less extraterrestrial tormenting the young animator.

Papa’s message is a little heavy-handed, but it actually works better through the various styles of animation than it would in live-action. For instance, the mute Eric is literally depicted without a mouth and during flashbacks, Rogelio’s face is obscured by ominous scribbles. Most of the contemporary scenes are produced in a rotoscoped-style of animation, converted from live-action film cells. However, the flashbacks are rendered in a simplistic, almost South Park-like style. Yet, they certainly have a dark vibe.

The most interesting aspect of The Missing are the innovative methods Papa devises to reflect the state of Eric’s subconscious turmoil. It packs much more emotional pop than it might otherwise, because the primary characters are so familiar. Arguably, it is about as much a genre film as Michael Pearce’s Encounter, but it is a great example of the animation medium’s potential for inventive storytelling.

The Missing is very much about the recovery process, but there are plenty of sequences that will fascinate animation fans in their own right. The Academy’s International Jury should give it a serious look too. It is not on a lot of critics’ radar, but that is what they are there for—to look beyond the obvious contenders and use their own judgement. Otherwise, the Academy could just automatically nominate the five top-rated foreign films on RT. Definitely recommended for animation connoisseurs, The Missing screens next month (1/7 & 1/13) at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.