“Chicken For Linda!” Review

Chicken For Linda is a French animated film with a simple plot and room to play. It surprised me that it wasn’t based on a children’s book. It certainly has that look and feel for how directors Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach style these rough-sketched characters with engulfing colors. While it does meander in its tale of grief and food, there’s just enough charm oozing through its accidents and chase to satiate.

There’s some drama from the start given the conflict between the widow Paulette and her reactive daughter Linda. They have an opening clash over the misplacement of Paulette’s engagement ring, to the point where the frustrated mom nearly abandons her child. When realizing the error of her ways, Paulette wants to make it up to her daughter and there’s the perfect way. Linda’s favorite dish is chicken with peppers, which is closely associated with her few memories of her late father. Although such a meal will revive those dormant thoughts of a lost parent, the primary drive is to make this meal a reality.

The cooking is complicated by a general strike that has shut down all the supermarkets. Determined to appease her daughter, Paulette attempts to buy a live chicken from somebody’s house. When the owners are not home, chicken theft enters the equation. From there, the plan snowballs into a series of silly antics involving an inept policeman, a furious aunt, an old woman who may or may not be able to kill a chicken, handcuffs with a missing key, and a swarm of children chasing after a runaway chicken.

There’s a bit of a duel tone to this type of film. It starts rather somber with the drama and loss feeling all too real. By the second act, it bounces straight into the absurdity of a chase that ends with a naked policeman in a tree. A particular point is reached where there’s a whimsical charm to the manic nature and the chicken dinner doesn’t matter. It’s a nice treat at the end of this ride, and there’s a solid emotional resonance that never feels too melodramatic. Perhaps the film could’ve meant something more with a stronger omnipresence of Linda’s longing for her dad, but I’m sure some kids would probably scoff at anything slowing down the caper of a chicken.

Chicken For Linda is as simple as its denouement dish but still savory enough to appease with its youthful vigor. The animation is easy on the eyes while still creative enough to use sharp colors and playful shapes in the many imaginative moments conveying Linda’s sensations. The slapstick involving handcuffs, guns, bikes, blowtorches, and candy was delightful in how the film builds its whimsy higher as it goes. The freewheeling nature will certainly not be everybody’s cup of tea, especially those not accustomed to the French-style flailing of this narrative. Personally, there was just enough on this plate, coming off like a lean animated film that is sweet enough for kids and light enough for adults.