Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
An account of the extraordinary life of film pioneer Georges Méliès (1861-1938) and the amazing story of the copy in color of his masterpiece A Trip to the Moon (1902), unexpectedly found in Spain and restored thanks to the heroic efforts of a group of true cinema lovers.
This French documentary about Georges Méliès and the painstaking restoration of the hand-colored print of A Trip to the Moon is a lovingly crafted cinematic portrait. Its cinematography stands out distinctly — the visual presentation of the restored footage, archival materials, and behind-the-scenes restoration work is handled with exceptional care and artistry, making it a genuine visual treat. The narrative structure is compelling enough, weaving Méliès's biography with the detective story of the film's recovery and restoration, though it follows fairly conventional documentary storytelling beats. As a talking-heads-plus-archival documentary, the 'acting' dimension is limited to interviewee presence and narration, which is competent but unremarkable. Novelty is solid — the subject matter is fascinating and the dual-story approach (artist biography + restoration thriller) gives it a distinctive angle, though the documentary form itself is familiar. The ending, celebrating the premiere of the restored film at Cannes, is emotionally satisfying if somewhat predictable in its triumphant resolution.