मार्नी और मैं

Following Miyazaki's retirement, the pressure was heavy on Director Yonebayashi as the next successor of Ghibli Studio. But in the Japanese multimedia, it was stated by the Former Director Miyazaki and Producer Suzuki that the future successor was finally decided after watching Yonebayashi's first solo directed movie "When Marnie Was There (2014)". Was this really the case? My answer - Yes.

This movie is unique in a sense that the story revolves around two female protagonists "Anna" and "Marnie"; although it does remind us a hint of the nostalgic movie "My Neighbour Totoro" which starred "Satsuki" and "May", their relationship is far more complex. As the story progresses, their relationship becomes more clear and vivid to the audience, and the confusion of the intertwining reality and the dreamlike world starts to unfold. The two girls go on a journey as they discover each others past and dwells upon their current problems, and gradually develops an unbreakable bond that unites them stronger.

Although the trailer did cause some confusing misunderstandings between the two girls in Japan, and at the same time my expectations lowered; after watching the movie it was no doubt a splendid and flawless piece of art both literally and figuratively.

It is worth noting that Yonebayashi truly challenged the impossible, as even Miyazaki had once thought of making this novel into a movie but had backed down due to its continuous complex changes that occur in the world of the two girls. Furthermore, Yonebayashi has created his "own" depiction of the sky in this movie, and is no longer the "blue sky" and "white clouds" that Miyazaki has portrayed in his series of work. So we can expect to see his own unique world of Ghibli gradually bloom in the next upcoming years.

To summarize the experience, it was astonishing how we, the audience ourselves can go on a journey together with the protagonists to overcome their obstacles. Paying attention to the changes in Anna's facial expressions is extremely crucial if you want to enjoy this movie. The succinct yet complex portrayal of these two girls really make you think of the depths of friendship.To conclude, I would like to end with Suzuki's logo that he had written for the advertising poster. The message of the logo is so sincere that to me there is no better way of epitomizing the message that the author and the director was trying to convey to the audience - 「あなたのことが大好き」- "I love you"; an unconditional love.

One of the many pleasures you have when you watch a Studio Ghibli film is its colorful animation and When Marnie Was There is yet another perfect example of that. More impressively, the story the film tells is just as filled with colorful themes and plot points that you just wouldn't get from a Disney or Dreamworks animated film. When Marnie Was There doesn't pull any punches, but more importantly, the punches they throw at the audience mean something and will have an emotionally resonating impact for all viewers, not just kids.

The film tells the story of Anna, a young girl who spends the summer with her relatives close to open water, and finds a mysterious and seemingly abandoned mansion across the water. After drawing numerous sketches of the mansion, she finds her way across using a row boat. What follows after that is a legitimately mysterious plot that keeps the audience guessing at every turn. Is Anna seeing things? Is this all a dream? Which characters are hiding what? And so on. For most of the film, that technique works very well. But there are a few times when the secrets and potential reveals get a bit tiresome.

When Marnie Was There is a story about plenty of things like regret, loss, and neglection. But at the heart of the film is a story about friendship, and an unlikely one at that. Obviously, there's plenty of things about the plot that you can't reveal without spoiling anything, but Anna and Marnie's bond throughout is truly something special. It's a bond that is probably more satisfying when you watch it a second time and can appreciate it without having to keep your eyes pealed for the next secret to be let out.

The film is complemented by a beautiful score and a heart wrenching end credits song that is sure to get even the most stubborn of people to get teary eyed. But it's also a different kind of sadness than say a Pixar or Disney film can give you (exceptions of course). When Marnie Was There has a dream like quality to the entire story, but the devastating moments hit you like a ton of bricks. Even in its most unrealistic instances, you feel the same sorrow and happiness that the characters do.

+Score

+Story has just the right amount of dark moments

+Probably more depth than other animated flicks

+Bond between Marnie and Anna

-Mysteries perhaps get a bit tiresome

8.7/10

I went into this movie not expecting it to quite live up to the Ghibli standard as most of the films not directed by Hayao or Isao, tend to be among their weaker ones. Yet in terms of story and subtle character writing I would easily rank this among the upper level of Ghibli's films.

The story starts off very simple yet it progresses into something very deep and as its mystery is gradually revealed it touches on concepts that are rarely captured in story telling of any medium. It is more than what it appears to be on the surface and it is far deeper than a typical plot about friendship and growing up. While those things are elements of the story, at its heart I would say that it is about the bonds that transcend generations. It is about how time can complicate relationships and simple decisions stretched out overtime can have unintended consequences. It's about discovering that the people we give so little thought to are sometimes far closer to us than we realize and are often experiencing similar hardships. It would have been easy for the story to end on an ambiguous note as so many stories like this do but thankfully the plot is fully explained and provides answers that make the story even more meaningful.

Along with its deep and unique story the characters are also subtly crafted and express emotions that are true to life. It deals with very complex feelings such as self loathing and social insecurity in a way the is very natural and rarely captured. Many of the characters are people who have trouble expressing themselves honestly and just as in real life, that behaviour is far more subtle than words can express. Anna is kind at heart but she can also be unintentionally cruel. She is polite and yet dismissive. Other characters who appear strong on the surface are in fact vulnerable but won't show it in private. The movie does a great job of showing characters from slightly different perspectives to show that they are more than simply the face they show the world. The film very believably portrays the idea that people very rarely express what they truly feel, in a way that others understand and that is often what leads to relationships breaking down.

As with most Ghibli films, the art direction here is also fantastic. The sets are beautiful and feel like real places. The tone and landscape are immersive and realistic. Its not only beautifully designed it is designed in a way that feels believable and serves a purpose.

While this isn't one of Ghibli's most awe inspiring movies, it is one of their most realistic and most profound. It takes a simple relate-able story and takes it someplace rarely explored. I would recommend this movie to anyone who has an appreciation for real subtle characters, unique coming of age stories and stories about complex relationships. I think it is a great movie for families as it is really deals with understanding the people close to us better. It has a great message for people of all ages and it is accessible enough that it can be appreciated on many different levels.

This film has the honour of being the first anime film that I experienced on the big screen.

I THINK the moments when I was walking out the door after the movie defined what I felt about the film: I overheard a teenage girl saying: 'Don't know about you, but I never noticed violin music in films before this.' Then she proceeds to hum Anna's theme out loud...note by note.

OK, first of all, I don't know what films she has being watching before this, because pretty much every film I watched with a decent score had music I can remember. But even I must admit: The music is the hero in this film, its by far the loudest sound maker in the film, as the strings overwhelms you while the subdued virtual camera pans across typically well-produced Ghibli background art with a bit of light sound effects. I think this film has mastered musically silent scenes...by perfectly contrasting them with scenes where the music takes the reins. The feelings to dread, loneliness and the atmospheric feelings when Anna was exploring the marshes.

I find it intriguing that Marnie's theme was hinted at the beginning, even before the appearance of Marnie, taking its full form about half way into the film, but was never given a full fanfare moment: its a tender woodwind led melody that usually takes the form of a bittersweet waltz, its really quite beautiful to see our two main characters dance to it. Anna's theme; definitely the most memorable theme of the film; is written sorely for tear-jerking. The second phrase of this theme takes the form of a 7 note motif, with the first note jumping almost an octave apart to the second before sliding down with the following 5 notes: vintage nostalgic and beautiful writing. Anyone who can survive these 7 simple notes must have a brick for a heart.

And this basically sums up the music of this film: simple, beautiful and absolutely nostalgic: it is able to etch itself into your brain without the brute force of brass and percussion, relying mainly on tender piano and woodwind solos and a warm strings section. Even the credits song; interestingly sung and written in English; is practically created just to give you nostalgic feelings and tender melancholy.

If I have to describe this film in one word, it would be 'sweet.' That's it. Sweet. Every character; no matter the amount of screen time they get, are awfully likable, the Oiwa family is fun to watch while they had the spotlight, Sayaka, who briefly appears as an adventurous and curious girl, is pleasant to see on screen, Anna and Marnie share a lot of sweet and cute moments, each one leaving you with a big smile on your face. The exceptions to this are characters mainly shown shown in flashbacks: the maids and a brief character called Emily. What I like about Ghibli films like this; a general lack of concrete plot timeline (see Kiki, Totoro and Poppy Hill); is just how...character-driven these films are: there's no plot points that taints and 'conveniently' motivates the characters, instead the plot is moved along by character motivation itself; even if some characters may appear for just seconds...they still somehow serve a profound purpose: The most brutal scenes in the entire film is when the elder Hisako tells her story to Anna and Sayaka: we get to see how Hisako, Anna and Marnie are connected through time.

Granted, I would've like to see more of Marnie, Sayaka and Hisako; particularly Hisako; but what I got was satisfying.

Needless to say, the art and animation is flawless, Studio Ghibli just utterly celebrates hand drawn animation...its backgrounds feels like vivid recreations of Monet paintings brought to life, the Marsh House drawn on pencil by Anna and oil painted by Hisako looked stunning on screen.

So...is this a good film to farewell Ghibli in the foreseeable future? Yes. Is it a masterpiece? It succeeds in many ways but fails in some others. Like I said, the side characters have much more to bring to the table, Anna can be a bit whiny and annoying at first, but she grows like any main character should, Marnie feels too...perfect, and her backstory does not seem to fit her character at times...but she's still a likable presence on screen. Overall, a must watch if you want a easy segway to slowly get into Ghibli films. The soundtrack? Now, this is a possible masterpiece...I would rate score with 5* if its theme based rating only, but overall, its a 4.5*. I also recommend you to check out the included image album: particularly the Anna theme suite.

The last film to be produced under the Studio Ghibli banner before the acclaimed animation studio decided to take a break from filmmaking following the retirement of Hayao Miyazaki, When Marnie Was There is an elegantly crafted & gorgeously animated tale that intertwines dreams with reality as well as past with present, only to end up getting entangled in its own web.

Based on the novel of the same name, When Marnie Was There follows Anna; a 12-year old girl who takes a trip to a countryside town for health reasons and discovers an abandoned mansion where she finds an unlikely friend in Marnie; a blond girl. As their new relationship blossoms over the next few days & both get to know each other better, it is unraveled that Anna is more closely related to Marnie than expected.

Nicely directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, When Marnie Was There is his sophomore effort following his debut feature, The Secret World of Arrietty, which remains my favourite Studio Ghibli film to be not directed by Miyazaki. And although his latest is no doubt an ambitious work, its pay-off won't be rewarding enough emotionally unless the viewers try to connect the dots all by themselves by doing a little digging of their own.

The technical aspects are expertly carried out for each frame of it is sumptuously animated & vividly photographed from start to finish. Editing tries to juggle various elements of story at once & doesn't always succeed. However, there isn't any issue with the pacing for its 103 minutes of runtime never becomes tedious at any given moment. Also, the background score brims with tracks that infuse a soothing feel into the narrative.

The Japanese voice cast is only as fitting as the studio's previous works. However, it's the beautiful relationship between Anna & Marnie that leaves the biggest mark. The film can be viewed as a coming-of-age drama that follows the journey of Anna from a lonely & anxious girl at the beginning of the film to a more confident person later in the story. Marnie herself exhibits an aura of mystery around her that not only allures Anna but us viewers as well.

On an overall scale, When Marnie Was There isn't as magical as Studio Ghibli's finest films but its take on friendship & isolation nonetheless manages to cast a spell of its own in bits n pieces which makes its story captivating for a while. A love story, a coming-of-age tale & a deep journey into one's own past, When Marnie Was There may or may not benefit from multiple viewings but for now, it has to settle for an underwhelming experience in my book. Still, it's worth a shot!