The cast of Strings is made up of marionettes. Unlike the more sophisticated puppets from Jim Henson movies, or even the other recent marionette feature Team America: World Police, these are quite limited in their expressions. Heck, their mouths don’t even move when characters are speaking. From the first moments where we glimpse the puppeteers, we know it is all an illusion. The many ever-present strings controlling the wooden actors should remind us that what we’re seeing is fake, but they instead only make the figures hanging from them more real. The world of Strings is utterly unique and believable for its depth and richness. These aren’t puppets pretending to be people; they’re fully realizing what it means to be puppets. The story is a Shakespearian epic of warring tribes, family rivalries, love and vengeance. Woven into the plot are fragments of day-to-day marionette existence. Birth and death, injury and healing, mobility and obstacles are all brilliantly explored. The strings reaching from each body to the heavens are fragile lifelines that embody powerful meanings, including the interconnectedness of the world’s beings. Strings is a beautiful film: a gripping story, incredible sets, graceful choreography, and engaging characters. Anyone wondering if the CGI revolution will replace human actors should realize that a carved piece of wood can already do the job.

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