It's Such a Beautiful Day (Film)

"Considering that he’s a stick figure, Bill, the main character in “It’s Such a Beautiful Day,” sure does have a complex internal life. And this animated film by Don Hertzfeldt does an amazing job of making you feel it, in all its sadness, terror and transcendence." 

"Warped keyhole-size images stack atop one another in a Frankenstein-ian collage that evokes the films of Terrence Malick, David Lynch, Stan Brakhage, and Bruce Conner. Seeing "the years [slip] out of [Bill's] head" in this 71-minute compendium is nothing short of revelatory." 

"Had James Thurber worked in animation, the waggish result might look and sound a bit like "It's Such a Beautiful Day," indie cartoonist Don Hertzfeldt's alternately poignant and absurdist triptych." 

"Surprisingly moving animated feature benefits from dark humor that doesn't undercut its story's high stakes." 

"It easily ranks among the best animation features of the new century (...) The voice-over narration, a first for Hertzfeldt, lays bare the aching emotion and philosophical yearning behind his gruesome, pitch-black humor." 

"An extraordinary debut feature film (...) Hertzfeldt's method of making grand existential statements with almost recklessly modest means has made his cinematic oeuvre one of the most fascinating and enjoyable of all contemporary American directors." 

"The results are funny, oddly affecting and cherishably personal (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of five)"