The Suicide Shop

The Suicide Shop from 2012 is a French animated movie. The movie is directed by Patrice Leconte and features Bernard Alane, Isabelle Spade, Kacey Mottet Klein, and other notable performers providing the voiceovers for the characters.

The movie is set in a dark and dreary city where life is often too much to bear for many residents. The city is marked by the oppression of its citizens who are unhappy, miserable, and dissatisfied with life. In this city is a store, known as the "Suicide Shop," where people can purchase various items and tools to end their lives. The shopkeeper, Mishima Tuvache, is quick to recommend the right item to a customer, guiding them towards their ultimate demise.

The main focus of the story revolves around the Tuvache family and their cursed lineage. The Tuvache family has been in the suicide business for generations and they are determined to continue their legacy of providing customers with the means to end their lives. But to their great dismay, their son, Alan, is a very happy and energetic boy, which is not befitting of the shop's depressing atmosphere. Alan's carefree attitude irritates his parents, and they try everything possible to bring him down to their level.

One day, there is a sudden shift in the family's fortunes. Mishima gets sick and is unable to tend the shop. This leaves Alan in charge, and he tries his best to keep the business running even though he finds his family’s trade to be repulsive. While tending to customers and operating the store, Alan meets a girl named Hazel who seems immune to the shop's deadly aura. Alan becomes utterly enamoured with her, and he starts to see life in a whole new light, which puts him at odds with his parents.

Meanwhile, the city is going through a major transformation, and it looks like suicide might no longer be an option for its residents. A new city official named The Duke has decided to completely rid the city of all negative emotions, which he sees as a threat to society. The Duke is obsessed with creating a world of perfect order, joy, and happiness, and he sees the shop as a symbol of the town's troubled past, a past that he is desperate to put behind him. Under his leadership, the city is transforming into a happy paradise, where even happiness is mandatory.

As the Duke's grip on the city strengthens and peace and happiness spread, Alan's family business starts to crumble. The city is gradually becoming a place where there is no longer any room for sadness, despair, or even the expression of free will. However, Alan and Hazel are not convinced that the Duke's utopia is the way of life that they want, and they begin to secretly unite the city's remaining unhappy residents in a rebellion against the Duke.

The Suicide Shop is filled with macabre humour, and it has a strange storyline that is both uplifting and depressing at the same time. Despite the dark and foreboding tone that the movie sets from the beginning, it has a very optimistic and hopeful message to impart to viewers. The movie is a strange and surreal tale of love, hope, and the power of positive emotions to overcome despair and sadness.

In conclusion, The Suicide Shop is a must-see movie for anyone curious about French animated movies. The movie has a unique style, dark, and quirky sense of humour that will leave viewers both laughing and feeling profoundly moved. The movie deals with serious themes such as suicide, depression and societal upheaval but manages to find a perfect balance between being reflective and entertaining. It is a visual treat, with stunning visuals and a great soundtrack that captures the mood of the movie perfectly. Overall, this movie is a unique cinematic experience that will leave a lasting impression on anyone who watches it.