The latest long feature born in the caustic mind of the master of staggered cartoons tells the story of a most unlikable character. Hateful, vulgar, macho and stupid, this man actually deserves the miserable life in which he enclosed himself. All is well until one morning he discovers small angel-like wings have grown on his back. Wings, which make him to do things against his nature. Like helping his neighbors. While he’s trying everything to get rid of his cumbersome new attributes, some unpleasantly resourceful people see in him a way of reaching fame and fortune.

Plympton again proves his mastery of xenomorphic sketching and polishes his narrative style by letting his story glide on constantly changing lines. It’s with his most acid humor that the author gives us his views on the less glorious sides of human nature: egotism, vanity and contempt. This doesn’t prevent the film from being poetry, dark and cruel, but poetry nonetheless.

Bill Plympton needn’t be introduced but let us be reminded that this underground festival regular rejected Disney’s offer at the time of Aladdin so as to be free to work independently. Without this wise decision cartoons for adults like I Married a Strange Person (1997), Space Mutants (2001) and Hair High (2004) would never have seen the day as we know them.