Educational Media Reviews Online

Far Out Isn’t Far Enough is a fascinating portrait of Tomi Ungerer, a French born artist who most notably pushed the boundaries of normalcy in children’s literature. The film traces the artist’s life in a linear fashion beginning with his childhood in a French/German border town during WWII, a distressing and inciting period that shaped the absurdist sentiments found throughout Tomi’s varied works. With the artist himself at the helm as narrator, the film is bolstered by Tomi’s delightful personality, anecdotes and slogans (“don’t hope, cope”).

The film outlines Tomi’s entry into the professional world of illustration through commercial advertising, followed soon after by a succession of highly praised illustrated children’s books. His work in both sectors had a dark but humorous quality, often just beyond the edge of conventional taste. By the time the film delves into the ramifications of his more extreme and taboo projects (1960’s antiwar illustrations and erotic drawings) Tomi has sufficiently charmed his audience, allowing most viewers to overlook any offense to their personal sensibilities and root for Tomi’s comeback.

The film is primarily composed of interviews and animated segments created from Tomi’s illustrations. Stylistically, the film is reminiscent of the 2004 documentary In the Realms of the Unreal.

Far Out Isn’t Far Enough is a rich story that focuses on an extremely compelling 20th century figure. This film is recommended for any general collection and highly recommended for collections focusing on arts and literature.