Reflective Encounters

“Cliona Noonan‘s first professional film Wet and Soppy, produced as part of Animation Skillnet‘s Animation Studio Lab programme, tells the simple but strikingly-rendered tale of a man whose attempts to air-dry his laundry are constantly thwarted by suspicious rainfall. We soon learn that his environment is being manipulated by a well-intentioned admirer on the precipice of stalker territory, though her antics are more mischievous than sinister. Eminently watchable and easygoing, the film succeeds in several areas, not least of which its contemporary design sensibilities that infuse in its characters a number of proportional extremes that don’t overwhelm their performance.

Taking inspiration from 1960s design (Noonan cites the Chicago Imagists, Seymour Chwast and Heinz Edelmann’s work on Yellow Submarine as primary influences), the film often feels rooted more in illustration than the current animation landscape. In contrast to the film’s stark approach to design is the comparatively muted colour scheme, a calming palette of blues, greens and pinks that complement the gentleness of its premise. At its heart Wet and Soppy is a simple but reassuringly pleasant tale of awkward affection that denotes a promising career ahead for its director.”

— Ben Mitchell