Arrietty : Le Petit Monde des Chapardeurs

In Tokyo, the boy Sho has a heart condition and is neglected by his parents. He moves to the house of his Aunt Sadako and her housemaid Haru to wait for a heart surgery, but he is depressed with the absence of his mother.

Meanwhile the fourteen-year-old Arrietty lives on the underground of Sadako's house with her father Pad and her hysterical mother Homily. They are Borrowers, tiny people that collect simple things they need in the house. Sho sees Arrietty on the garden and during the night, she participates for the first time of a harvest with her father. Arrietty accidentally drops a sugar cube in Sho's bedroom, but on the next morning Sho leaves the cube near a window in the basement.

Arrietty's parents decide to move to another place since they have been discovered by an inhabitant of the house. But there is the menace of Haru that wants to capture the tiny people.

"Kari-gurashi no Arietti" is a beautiful and melancholic tale of friendship between different ones. Arrietty is a lovely and sweet character and it is impossible not falling in love with her. The conclusion is open despite the message of hope, since the fates of Sho and Arrierry and her family are inconclusive. We hope that the boy recovers from his heart surgery and Arriety and her parents find a new home. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Mundo dos Pequeninos" ("the World of the Little Ones")

Let me start off by saying that the film is not a masterpiece - the storyline, development, interactions and plot is rather dull, simplistic and boring - this is not a film to appease fans of complex dramas.

Why do I give this film an 8/10, then? The reason why, is because this is not a film intended to be thought-provoking or philosophical - this is a film about the existence of a world entirely parallel to ours, a view of our daily life from a different perspective. It's an adventure into the unknown, an insight into a culture so similar yet so mysteriously different. It is a typical Studio Ghibli piece in this regard, and that is a Good Thing.

The presentation of the film is brilliant and worked very well. The magnitude and immersion with which the Borrowers' forays into our daily lives is shown never ceased to impress me. The visuals, artwork, animation, sound and music played together perfectly.

Overall, the film is colorful, cheery and entertaining. If you watch it with high expectations you'll be disappointed, but you won't regret relaxing and enjoying it.

Studio Ghibli have been responsible for some of my favourite animated movies, especially Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Grave of the Fireflies, Castle in the Sky and My Neighbour Totoro. In fact I haven't seen a Ghibli I dislike, even their weakest Tales from Earthsea while problematic is worth a viewing. Arietty is not one of Ghibli's best, but that doesn't stop it from being a truly charming film. As with all Studio Ghibli's work, the visuals are stunning, with the colours especially having such an ethereal quality to them, and the music has a pleasant Celtic lilt making the movie even more beautiful than it already is. The script amused and touched me, and the storytelling doesn't rely on wisecracks and action(not that it's a bad thing as such) but instead it is subtle and gentle with a lot of charm and heart, letting us bond emotionally with the characters and their world. True, the ending is a little bittersweet, but considering the storytelling it worked I felt. The characters, especially Arietty, are likable and engaging, and the voice work is terrific, the standouts being Olivia Colman, Geraldine McEwan, Mark Strong and very talented child actress Saoirse Ronan. Overall, a very charming film. 9/10 Bethany Cox

In a world engulfed by Kevin James comedies and ghastly and unnecessary reboots, the public is honoured with the animated Arrietty: a heavenly and gentle tale inspired by Mary Norton's novel 'The Borrowers'.

Arrietty Clock is a 14 year-old girl who lives with her family underneath a home inhabited by humans. The Clock family borrows items it needs to survive from the people living 'above' and love their beautiful, delicate home. However, when a young boy arrives (Shô) to stay with the human family, Arrietty is accidentally discovered by him. Due to fears of borrowers being seen and captured by human beings, the family fear for her safety. Shô finds himself fascinated by Arrietty and a bond builds between the pair, breaking the boundaries between human and borrower.

Arrietty is an intimate and emotional anime resembling the style of Spirited Away.

Arrietty is an intimate and emotional anime resembling the style of Spirited Away.

The film has currently been released in two languages: Japanese and English. The UK version has voice casting from Saoirse Ronan and Mark Strong, whilst the US version stars Will Arnett and Amy Poehler.

What Arreitty has is heart – it cares for its viewers and expresses this with irrevocable beauty. All viewers, young and old, will be unable to help being swept up in this animated treasure and taken aside by just how visually, narratively and emotionally stunning it is. Arrietty is the cinematic equivalent of whatever one believes to be the definition of 'beautiful'.

Hiromasa Yonebayashi's animation, aided by manga artist, film director and animator Hayao Miyazaki, swallows the screen in a sea of plush foliage, raindrops and climbing vine.

Every individual item is intrinsically detailed from a microscopic teapot to a leaf swaying in the wind. The artistic nature of Arrietty is a marvel of dedication and effort. This film is certainly the best animated film of 2011.

Furthermore, the film features rounded and wonderful characters, all of whom have an important role to play. Arrietty is a great role model for children, particularly young girls. She cares and wants to support her family, she's strong, hard-working, determined and she isn't prejudiced. She understands Shô and learns to enjoy his company. Regardless of the reality, the film's heroine provides plenty of positive energy and a great moral compass.

Arrietty is a love-letter to childhood enchantment, to that feeling of awe and magic and the belief in another.

Verdict: ●●●●● Sumptuous and marvellous storytelling aided by eye-watering beauty, Arrietty is simply sublime.

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Such a lovely, tender-hearted film, with themes of coexistence and the need to live in harmony. It's a touching relationship between the young girl, a teeny person, and the boy resting at his mother's childhood home while waiting for an operation on his heart. In more than one instance we see two very different responses to coming across some other type of creature; one simply letting it be, and the other, lashing out at it, and there is such a nice message there. Contrast the girl playing with the rolled-up pill bug and then letting in go along its way with the horror of the scene with the jar and its airholes. The cat has a nice character arc in this regard. :D On top of it, Studio Ghibli gives us fantastic attention to detail in every respect, the visuals of course, but also the sound design and the mannerisms of the characters. Magical, and a good one for both kids and adults.