Writers: Pavel Šrut and Galina Miklínová based upon their books.
Director: Galina Miklínová
The Oddsockeaters stretches an old joke- why any household always has odd socks- over its entire running time. The answer to the question, according to writers Pavel Šrut and Galina Miklínová (who based the screenplay upon the children’s books they, respectively, write and illustrate) is that creatures, apparently invisible to all but highly eccentric humans, eat the socks working on the principle by not consuming the full pair they are sharing their food with us.
There is a great deal included in the limited running time of The Oddsockeaters so not all concepts are explored in full. Apparently the Oddsockeaters do not die but fade away into the atmosphere. When this happens to his grandfather, young Oddsockeater Hugo has no choice but to seek out his last surviving relative, known, ominously, as The Big Boss. However, Hugo’s uncle not only leads a gang specialising in stealing socks he resides in the attic of Professor René Kaderábek, who, without ever seeing an Oddsockeater, has become aware of their existence and created a variety of eccentric Heath Robinson devices to try and capture them.
Although The Big Boss, sticks to the convention of stealing only single socks he has somehow amassed a great number of them which he hordes in the manner of a miser. Spike Reisse the boss of The Blades, a rival gang, does not conform to the single sock doctrine and not only steals pairs but ferments them into alcohol. When Spike sets out to steal the hoard of The Big Boss Hugo has no option but to go undercover in the rival gang and later to risk his life to safeguard his adopted family.
The characters in The Oddsockeaters are animated by computer-generated-imagery. The Oddsockeaters are made of textile materials rather than skin and the animation allows the figures to stretch, tangle and become translucent. Their appearance is close to animated cardigans with eyes and an extended anteater style snout. The animation is bright and cheerful giving a very appealing image of contemporary Prague through which the characters rush.
There is a tentative feel to The Oddsockeaters as if too many ideas were included to be fully explored or director Galina Miklínová was trying out different styles and could not settle on a single approach. Rather than presented as a credible menace Professor René Kaderábek is introduced in the opening scenes and then ignored until plot developments necessitate his return, so he feels more like a narrative device than a character whose actions ultimately deserve redemption. An alternate threat – a vicious rat who attacks Hugo- makes strong impression but appears just once and is then forgotten.
The tone of the movie is darker than many aimed at very young viewers as it is made clear the Oddsockeaters are vulnerable to water and so liable to drown. In a nice touch ‘Fluff’ is used as a swear word. However, although the rival gangs have signature songs/chants and Hugo gets to sing an introspective solo there are just not enough songs for the movie to be considered a musical, it barely qualifies as a film with songs.
Animation is a crowded field at present and although The Oddsockeaters has a low-key charm there is little to make it stand out among more imaginative movies.
The Oddsockeaters is screening at the 27th Made in Prague Festival 2023.
