m2dad
My Lucky Elephant is the story of an orphan who finds a lost juvenile elephant which has wandered away from the safety of family in the jungles of Thailand. The young boy immediately sees the practical and monetary value in having the elephant and begins to train "Lucky," though unknown whether by instinct or perhaps by having grown up in a village where elephants are regularly used for needed tasks such as hauling firewood. The boy then travels with his barely trained friend to seek work as a means of survival. While able to obtain various jobs and earn money to feed himself and "Lucky," most of the jobs the young boy finds are temporary and seasonal. I was surprised when I saw that this film had not any reviews yet here on IMDb. Perhaps, that is because the movie is a bit more complex than it first appears. Perhaps, it is because it is hard to decide what demographic group this film targeted. One would assume by the name that it is a children's movie. It is not, though, there are parts that will certainly appeal to youngsters. Yet, it isn't an adult film either, though there are adult themes included in the film. There are scenes which certainly would be disturbing to youngsters and adolescents. My guess is that the writer and film maker envisioned this to be a family film. Not sure I could recommend it as such, as again, there are scenes which could be a bit disturbing, but are scenes which are certainly not in the same league as a multitude of violent Hollywood film offerings. I will say that this film was beautifully photographed. The scenery is magnificent, and every part of the human/elephant interaction seems real and authentic. The film seemed very real to me and perhaps that is what was most unsettling to me. There are underlying themes which can take the movie to dark places as our young hero tries to survive in an adult world. Perhaps, when viewing the film a youngster might take away that the world is cold and one is unwanted unless something can be offered to others. Otherwise expect to ignored, or let starve. Maybe I am over analyzing this and being a bit harsh. But, I can say assert there are many positives that can be taken away from this film. One can learn to view the world from the perspective of another person and culture. One can be inspired to make ones way in a world where there are unlimited possibilities and only requires creativity to find a niche. And, the most valuable lesson taught as I see it- family should not be limited to just those for which we are biologically or legally tied.
