Arrietty : Le Petit Monde des Chapardeurs

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You can't beat hand drawn animation. No matter how realistic your computer generated image is or how much the train conductor looks like Tom Hanks, you can't really compete with the beauty of Ghibli's animation. And that really comes across when seeing this new offering on the big screen. Along with some descent English dubbing and the humour that always accompanies tiny people with giant sugar cubes, Arrietty is the usual charming goodness from team Ghibli.

Arrietty is The Borrowers (in fact many cinemas are calling it just that) Tiny people live under the floorboards of a house where a young boy with a heart condition is gathering some much needed rest before his impending risky operation. They hide themselves from us humans waiting until night to sneak into our homes and 'Borrow' the things we wont miss, like sugar cubes and tissues. The majority of the fun in this film comes from watching the tiny borrowers clamber around the shelves using string to rappel off cupboards.

Olivia Colman (Peep Show, Hot Fuzz) Is brilliant as the panicky Mum of Arrietty constantly fretting about the humans and her daughter running off all the time. Geraldine McEwan (Miss Marple) is also great as Haru, she is a classic creepy Ghibli old lady and some of the noises she makes are making me laugh just now thinking of them.

It's easy for kids to follow and endlessly beautiful to watch. Not really surprising that they have done it again and thanks to Pixar dropping the ball (again) with Cars 2, Oscar this year please?

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A "smaller-scale" Ghibli movie than what we're used to, but a good one. The Secret World of Arrietty is the story of a family of "borrowers" a tiny race of people who live within the homes of ordinary humans and who are supposed to stay hidden from them at all times. 

It's visually as beautiful as you'd expect from Ghibli, with even simple backgrounds looking as lovely as a painting. Instead of the fantastical lands of most Ghibli films like Spirited Away or Howl's Moving Castle, The Secret World of Arrietty is set in an ordinary home. But the simple beauty of everything and seeing the lovingly-drawn detail in everyday items from the view of smaller eyes makes this one of the more memorable Ghibli movies from a visual standpoint, in my opinion. 

As for the story, it's simple and effective, and deals with nothing more than the human occupants of a home, including a young boy with a heart condition, and the family of borrowers that also lives there unknown. Arrietty herself, the daughter of the family of tiny people, continues the tradition of fantastic female characters that comes from Studio Ghibli. 

This isn't an action-packed movie with a grand climax or anything like that, but I found it satisfying and pleasantly watchable. Arrietty left me with good feelings and avoided being heavy-handed with messages as some Ghibli movies can tend to do. I liked it a lot (better than Howl's Moving Castle and Tales from Earthsea, if not quite as much as Ponyo), and I'll be happily seeing it again at the theater when it comes out in the U.S.

This was stunning. I saw it just days after going to the Ghibli Museum in Japan, and it was breathtaking. I'm glad since I loathed the last Ghibli film I saw (Pom Poko). Arriety is the exact cure needed for such loud and obnoxious 3D CGI movies that come out every other week. It's quiet and full of soul. There are moments here that you wouldn't even get in a live action movie. Subtle moments of life and nature, that the animators could have saved time and money by not including them. Luckily for us, the details are all present. A shot lingers just long enough for a ladybird to take flight, or the mother to stir her tea after a conversation. What Ghibli understand, more than anyone, is that kids don't need bright/crass/non stop films. The quiet nature of Arriety is so relaxing, with gorgeous music from Cecile Corbel. First time director Yonebayashi shows that Ghibli has much more life and talent to give.

I was very familiar with The Borrowers, and was a bit disappointed I was getting something original from Ghibli. I'd already seen the excellent TV Mini-series and the over-the-top American film with Goodman. Ghibli have taken everything great about the story, and toned down the designs and motives, making this a realistic and engaging fantasy. The father is stoic and caring. Arriety is adventurous, but never annoying. Her heart is in the right place, but she doesn't get into a ridiculous amount of trouble. Being Ghibli we get a lovely little cat character, Niya. The designs are ace, and the world of the borrowers and the human beans merge beautifully.

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

Arrietty is a worthy addition to the Studio Ghibli canon, with animation that matches some of the best of the studio's past efforts. It's the first film directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, and it's based on the novel The Borrowers by English author Mary Norton. The script was written by Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa. Arrietty is a perfectly admirable first effort by Yonebayashi though it in no way matches Miyazaki's best films. It reminds one of Spirited Away (2001). This is because the story is somewhat similar but also because the hand-drawn animation is used in the same wondrous way to show scenes of everyday life of the characters. The buildup in the story takes a while, however, by then the viewer is immersed in the anime's world. It seems to go by fast though the running time is 94 minutes. The score by French singer Cecile Corbel is a definite benefit, with a sound that's distinctly European. Arrietty is a simple but charming film that, in my opinion, is mostly for children. Adults won't get much out of it, but if you're in the mood to see a good animated film then I recommend seeing Arrietty.