Directed with brio by Eric Summer and Eric Warin, this charming animated film, set in 1880s France, centers on two best friends (voices of Elle Fanning and Nat Wolff) who escape from an orphanage (its predictably stern mother superior voiced by Kate McKinnon) to pursue their dreams in Paris. He plans to be a famous inventor, while she longs to be a dancer. A cleaning woman at the City of Light’s opera house (voice of Carly Rae Jepsen) who was once a prima ballerina until sidelined by injury takes pity on the lass and agrees to train her. A couple of rude jokes do not seriously detract from visually stunning imagery and a winning story about friendship, perseverance and helping others in need.
Watch out for: Brief scatological humor and a less than flattering representation of women religious.
Rated: A-II, adults and adolescents; MPAA: PG
