Ailo's Journey is a nature film shot in the breath-taking landscapes of Finnish Lapland. It presents the Nordic milieu and its wild animals in a way that has never been done before.
There is always something overwhelmingly wholesome about nature documentaries. With the right framing, you can feature animals being hunted, killed and torn apart, and all it takes is the knowledge that these are animals that need to eat to survive. It all comes down to the narrative, who the main focus of the film is.
Ailo's Journey does this well. The majority of the focus is on Ailo and his mother, with other animals posing as little more than a short cameo. We aren't given a chance to get attached to many other characters, which controls the emotional investment during the film. While there is constant awareness of the predator/prey relationship, it is only with Ailo that we feel a deep concern for his wellbeing.
It is the masterful editing, cinematography, and score that make this work so well. There are so many tight and close-up shots that you can't help but see a different side of these creatures than what you would normally see from the usual wide-shot approach of a natural documentary. There is a closeness that picks up all of the subtlety in their individuality, such the eye contact and interactions between different species, and the otherwise unnatural behaviours that are often not noticed when observing a herd as a whole.
Donald Sutherland is an interesting narrator and feels like he is discovering the story at the same time as the audience. His narration has been clearly pre-written, and yet every once in a while, he will chuckle along when something silly happens on screen.
It is the cinematography that really steals the show in this film. The number of shots and angles that have been put together feel almost inhumanly possible, to the point that one could be forgiven in thinking that perhaps everything was done on a computer. The angles, the to-and-fro between animals on screen, and the gorgeous aerial drone footage of these arctic environments are all incredibly breathtaking. As the piece transitions through the seasons of a year, there is a clear change in the colour tones, from white to green, then to orange, and blue, each season having their own assortment of gorgeous sky colours.
From a narrative standpoint, this will be enjoyable for maybe those from ages 8+. While there is a story, this takes place over an entire year and lacks the constant energy that would be necessary to keep the younger ones interested. For those that love their animals, and would get a laugh from hearing a lemming referred to as "the chicken nugget" of the animal world, this will no doubt delight.
The visual environments are the highlight of the film, Ailo's journey ends up being fine, but more of a framework that allows more interesting characters to be introduced. The Arctic Fox, the Wolverine (the animal, not Hugh Jackman), the Hare, and the White Stoat all make appearances that go off on tangents, but add a good amount of levity to the story.
There is a strong musical score, that is highly reminiscent of Game of Thrones, with a lot of strings initially, but soon makes way for horns and percussive elements as young Ailo grows up, and uses vocal noises, instead of words, to create a very traditional primitive sound. Combine this with those fascinating icy landscapes, and Ailo's Journey is bound to appeal.
Overall it has similarities to the style of March of the Penguins, going all-in on the individual personalities of the animals over that behaviour of the pack that creates a highly-engaging, personal story.