Le magasin des suicides (2012)

Directed by: Patrice Leconte | 85 minutes | animation, comedy, musical | Original voice cast: Bernard Alane, Isabelle Spade, Kacey Mottet Klein, Isabelle Giami, Laurent Gendron, Pierre-François Martin-Laval, Eric Métayer, Jacques Mathou, Urbain Cancelier, Pascal Parmentier, Edouard Prettet, Jean-Paul Cornart, Annick Alane, Juliette Poissonnier, Philippe du Janerand, Isabelle Petit-Jacques, Nathalie Perrot

‘Not dead, money back’ is the motto in ‘Le magasin des suicides’, an animation film about the store of the same name, where all the necessities for a guaranteed suicide can be purchased. In a gray, busy, dirty city where even the pigeons are depressed, this shop is the only bright spot in town. People walk down the street with straight faces, constantly thinking about how bad they are. The store is experiencing golden times, because: from recession comes depression. The salesmen Michima, Lucrèche and their two children help the desperate wretch who pass by to certain death every day with poison, nooses, swords, rusty or extra sharp razor blades: you can imagine it is for sale there. All goes well until the fateful day their third child is born. The child, Alan, turns out to be the merrymaking itself, and that is of course bad for the business. At the last minute, fueled by his zest for life, customers threaten to reconsider their latest purchase. For example, Alan is not exactly the favorite child. He thinks that the gloom in the city is enough and wants to prevent every child from being orphaned. So he devises a wicked and merry plan.

‘Le magasin des suicides’ is full of politically incorrect and hilarious scenes, and with a certain dark humor the comparison with the (animated) films of Tim Burton is quickly drawn. Like ‘Corpse Bride’, for example, ‘Le magasin des suicides’ is an animated musical. They regularly burst into song, slow, depressive songs, or cheerful songs by Alan and his friends. And although ‘Le magasin des suicides’ is an animation film and musical, the atmosphere is very dark and it is certainly not intended for small children. Besides the fact that many suicides and bloody violence come into view, a child will not understand the many, otherwise very funny, implications and references.

‘Le magasin des suicides’ is the first animated film by Patrice Leconte, who based it on the novel by Jean Teulé from 2006. Leconte has adapted the end of the story, and that feels a bit contrived. However, it fits so well with the film’s over-the-top style that it’s hilarious nonetheless. Leconte didn’t want to make the book into a movie at first, but when he was offered to do it in animation, he agreed. The drawings are very artistic and sketchy, and the 3D effect emphasizes the flatness of the drawings; as if it were a diorama, with layers. ‘Le magasin des suicides’ looks like a beautiful painting, an illustration in a children’s book and a comic book at the same time. The animation film certainly does justice to the story and the contrast between the somberness of the drawings and the cheerful narrative structure gives it just that pinch of irony that makes ‘Le magasin des suicides’ a wonderful film.