The Secret World of Arrietty

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

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.

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.

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")

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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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