Our Review

Movie: AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR

   Rating: PG, thematic material, violent                     content, peril and some language`

                          Length: 1:40

            Release Date: January 17, 2025  

Jeanne: AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR is a beautifully filmed movie about a girl named Autumn who, at age 15, travels from New York City to the Amazon rainforest to save her best childhood friend --- a gorgeous black jaguar named Hope. Directed by Gilles de Maistre from a screenplay written by his wife Prune, this filmmaking duo has used their platform to speak out against injustice and oppression.

 

As a little girl growing up in the rainforest, Autumn (Airam Camacho), finds a lost black jaguar cub and names her Hope (a baby jaguar named Gem). Autumn and her parents, Elie (Eva Avila) and Saul Edison (Paul Greene), live in the Amazon fighting against poaching. Following a tragic incident, Saul and Autumn relocate to New York, where Saul practices medicine and Autumn (Lumi Pollack) is constantly in trouble for harassing her biology teacher, Anja (Emily Bett Rickards).

 

Unbeknownst to Autumn, her father has been receiving letters from Oré (Wayne Charles Baker), chief of the indigenous village where Autumn and her family lived in the rainforest. He has been warning Saul about a nefarious political leader, Doria Dargnan (Kelly Hope Taylor), who is responsible for much of the illegal poaching. It seems Doria is obsessed with capturing Hope (also the name of the adult jaguar), the last black jaguar in the area.

 

When Autumn finds out that Hope is in imminent danger, she takes off by herself for the Amazon. Anja gets wind of her plan and follows despite her acute agoraphobia. Together, Autumn and Anja have quite an adventure tracking down Hope in the jungle and keeping her safe from the poachers.

 

AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR isn’t just a story about protecting endangered animals --- though, obviously, it’s an incredibly important message for the children to see De Maistre’s movie. It’s also about the devastation of the rainforest, safeguarding water supplies and ultimately doing what’s best for our environments --- and Planet Earth. Especially now, following the unprecedented fires here in California, it’s imperative that all of us reevaluate the horrific ramifications of climate change and how it affects everyone --- and everything.

 

De Maistre has made other films addressing these issues. He wants his work to be optimistic by approaching these very serious problems in a positive way. Autumn learned from her mother the great importance of protecting animals who are unable to defend themselves. Love and friendship are another big part of AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR’s salient lessons. And he has chosen well with his two --- rather three --- female leads.

 

Lumi Pollack, who is absolutely marvelous, spent two hours every day for a year imprinting with Hope and Gem. Ariam, who plays the younger Autumn, spent four months playing with both jaguars when they were babies. All of this effort pays off immensely because these girls developed strong bonds with their very rare counterparts.

 

It's amazing to watch them cavort with these beautiful creatures throughout AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR --- and it’s so very natural. Gem and Hope are simply stunning animals --- and it’s estimated that there are only 15,000 jaguars left in the wild.

 

Rickards provides the comedy relief in the film. Anja’s paranoia drives Autumn crazy, but eventually Anja succumbs to Autumn’s determination to save Hope.

 

AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR is perfect for the entire family. Children will be mesmerized by the baby Gem and the sleek adult Hope. And parents --- and grandparents --- can appreciate the topical issues De Maistre has chosen to highlight.

 

           In theaters January 17, 2025

 

Opinion: See It Now!

David: It’s a long way from New York City to the Amazon rainforest, but not so far when a determined 15-year-old girl decides to hop a plane and search for the jaguar she bonded with eight years earlier. Such is the basis for AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR, the latest film by French director Gilles de Maistre, known for movies about animals and their threatened existence.

 

Autumn is played wonderfully by Lumi Pollack as the teenager who leaves her father, Saul (Paul Greene), on a ruse that she’s visiting her grandmother. The younger Autumn is portrayed by the adorable Airam Camacho. Both actresses spent months imprinting with the real jaguars who appear in the film, i.e., Gem, the baby, and Hope, the older cat. De Maistre eschewed the use of CGI in order to capture the authentic relationships between the animals and the girls --- and it works beautifully.

 

Saul and Autumn had resettled in NYC after leaving the Amazon. But he never lost touch with Oré (Wayne Charles Baker) who is chief of an indigenous tribe living in the village in the rainforest where they had lived. In fact, it is Oré whom Autumn seeks out upon her arrival.

 

The catch in the story, written by Prune de Maistre, the director’s wife, who also penned screenplays for two of his earlier films, is that Autumn is followed to the Amazon by her biology teacher, Anja Shimmer (Emily Bett Rickards). Anja and Autumn have a troubled history at their school, but the teacher tries earnestly to have Autumn return to New York when they reach the first leg of their trip in Miami.

 

The pair end up on a wild escapade that, predictably, brings them much closer together. Other aspects of this story are also easily foreseen, so on that score, AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR would most likely appeal more to young female moviegoers, and the director doesn’t disagree. But the absolute sweetness of the relationships of the two Autumns with Gem and Hope are enough to win over hearts of all ages.

 

As mentioned, De Maistre’s earlier work is more than just entertainment. He passionately wants his films to be the beacon for younger generations to be drawn to for the sake of preserving threatened animal species and their homes. The major plot of AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR has a group of poachers actively seeking out the black jaguar for their personal gain.

 

Adult moviegoers will recognize the inconsistencies and unanswered questions that are present in the story. But the target audience of five to fifteen-year-old girls, as the director suggests, will either not notice or not care --- or both. The important thing here is that a young girl pursues her dream --- against all odds --- and in the process makes amends with the adults in her life.

 

A special shout out goes to imprinting specialist and animal coordinator Jean Philippe Magnone for his perfect handling of the jaguars. Despite all the precautions taken in a movie like this, the involvement of a young girl with a grown jaguar still represents a potential risk.

 

            In theaters January 17, 2025

 

Opinion: See It Now!