A charming short film about the importance of standing up to bullies, "The Chaperone" takes advantage of animation styles to make an ordinary story extraordinary.
Recounted by those in charge of a middle school dance, "Chaperone" tells the story of an incident involving a biker gang who invaded a dance in 1970s Montreal, only to be turned away by a single teacher who decided enough was enough.
With a wonderfully cheeky, animation-mixing style, "Chaperone" creates a happenin' '70s vibe while recounting a previously untold story in a brisk, fun way. Hand-drawn sequences mix with stop-motion and Claymation to depict the fight that occurred at a dance between a teacher and the gang of ruffians who thought they could get away with intimidating some children.
The teacher himself, along with the DJ at the party, recount the story, as a biker gang shows up uninvited to the dance and begins bullying and frightening the students, disrupting the party and causing a scene. The teacher, recognizing his role as caretaker, stands up to the gang and starts a fight in which he is hopelessly outnumbered.
It all adds up to a fun, exciting experience, a simple but not simply told tale that is a breath of fresh air, even in an already interesting film-festival environment.