The Necktie

On his 25th birthday, our hero Valentin receives a necktie from his mother and an accordion. The accordion goes into the closet, but Valentin dons the necktie and heads off to his soulless repetitive job in a skyscraper called Life. On his 40th birthday, Valentin realizes just how futile and fruitless his life has become and after receiving another of his mother's annual gift ties (a bow tie this time), he rediscovers the accordion in the closet. The characters in this lyrical, wordless short are all two-dimensional except for Valentin, who is an animated puppet with huge eyes and nose. Ultimately, filmmaker Jean-François Lévesque's The Necktie offers a pointed parable about losing one's sense of youthfulness while becoming mired in the unexamined corporate life. DVD extras include an interview with the filmmaker. A winner of several awards, including Best Short Film at the Montreal World Film Festival 2008, this is highly recommended. Aud: J, H, C, P. (G.A. DeCandido)