Are you old? Do you know someone who is old? Chances are, you've experienced having to put someone in an old-folk's home, or at least visited someone there. If you look for it, there are plenty of films that tackle the subject, most of which are vaguely similar. And so is the 2011 Spanish animated film "Wrinkles"... yet, it does it so accurately and with a artistic touch that I can't help but admire it.Emilio is an old man. He is forgetful, a bit dazed, but otherwise capable. But he's still a strain on his children trying to live their own lives, and so is put in a home. He meets a number of other seniors, each of varying degrees of degeneration, including his roommate Miguel, who seems very sharp and aware of his situation, and makes the most of it cheating other elderly out of loose change and medication. All the while, Emilio slowly comes to grips with the truth of him in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's. The film's description compares this to "One Flew Over The Cukkoo's Nest," which is very appropriate. Not just in the setting (or to some degree, the ending), but in the careful thought into the writing, the setup, the dialogue, the shots, the silent moments full of meaning. And all of it is painfully true... if you've had a relative in such a place, you will remark at the accuracy of the story and how relatable it seems.Which is good, because the ending is a little weak (it sounds perfect on paper, appropriate since the film is based on a Spanish graphic novel by Paco Roca, but lacks the punch it needs to make a film audience remember it). The art and animation is simple, not unlike Chico and Rita (another GKIDS film release), but the style isn't focused on or used to enhance the atmosphere in the same way as that film. The music is haunting at times when appropriate, the English dub every bit as good as required. It all comes together to seem passable, and again, if you hadn't known anyone in the situations these characters face, it might not have the same lasting impression.
Ultimately a love letter to grandparents, "Wrinkles" is worth watching before putting that old coot away. You might have a change in heart.