Tekkonkinkreet

Visually gorgeous but narratively uneven, this manga-based urban fantasy from debuting director Michael Arias is a frequently mesmerising affair. The first feature-length Japanese anime to be made by an American, it sets an overlong story of friendship, devotion and childhood imagination against beautifully detailed cityscapes that leave you swooning at their technical virtuosity. Unfortunately, the violent and episodic events themselves aren't as impressive, becoming increasingly sprawling and off-puttingly surreal, as two street urchins, Black and White, try to stop the yakuza and their allies from turning their decaying home into an amusement park. The looser the scripting gets, the more the film's intricacies and emotion start to wash over you, sadly diluting its poignancy and appeal.