Review: Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave (1995)

Director: Nick Park | 30 minutes | animation, comedy, family, short film | Original voice cast: Peter Sallis, Anne Reid

After the success of the second part of the Wallace & Gromit trilogy, a third film could of course not be missed. Fans only had to wait two years for a new adventure from the comedy duo. Always trustworthy Gromit and his owner Wallace with his machine inventions who always just don’t do what he wants, in “Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave” face a shortage of wool, love and prison!

Wallace falls in love with Wendolene, the lady of the wool shop and thus a second voice is introduced in the films. Until now, Peter Sallis was the only one who spoke, now he is accompanied by Anne Reid. There is a big wool shortage, says one of the headlines, but Wendolene has enough wool in stock, as it turns out when Wallace and Gromit wash her windows. The scene in which they drive away from home on their way to this job is one of the highlights of the movie. Gromit quickly realizes that something is wrong when he meets Preston, Wendolene’s evil-looking dog. Wallace and Gromit also suddenly have a housemate, the sheep Sean (who wears a sweater of his own wool, because he accidentally ended up in Wallace’s knitting machine).

Park’s eye for detail is once again masterful, making it a joy to see the film several times, if necessary right after each other. His use of light and shadow, the musical setting of the whole, the film noir elements, all contribute to the unique experience that this film is. The figures move in a completely natural way, so you hardly realize that it is animation. The emotions of the characters are so real, you have to have a heart of hardened clay to not live with. The Oscar Nick Park received for “Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave” is therefore very justified.