Quando c'era Marnie

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.

I've nearly watched all animations by Studio Ghibli (and many others other than from this studio) and I can with certainty say that this one is the best animated one! It's like a live-action film with great actors :) Every single emotion is magnificently drawn! When you watch this animation, you shouldn't expect a thriller or scenes of action.. the story is widely dramatic and heartbreaking. It has lots of suspenseful moments that make you want to watch it till the end and the ending is really worth the wait! The anime is about family problems and a young & ill girl's way of dealing with it. One could say that it is her coming of age story which is not easy for her, so she finds a "friend", a mysterious foreigner who helps to find herself and make her see the world with different eyes ;) People who think animations are just for children or for younger generation are completely wrong! If you have prejudices, go and watch one and see it for yourself! I can recommend Spirited Away & Grave of the Fireflies. And I really can't believe that Studio Ghibli will take a break from filmmaking now... or will maybe never come back to it again. It's a mess! After seeing so much untalented people doing so many films and earning much money (especially those cheesy Hollywood animations), although for not deserving it, I'm aware of the fact that real artists should be praised! BTW: I don't easily give a film 10/10 ;)

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

This Movie touches the human soul at many level. It depicts a child who has been abandoned, by her mother and then grandmother and later partly by her foster-mother, so she feels she can not depend on adults for security. It also shows the value of family and love and affection within the family. Unlike American movies where no one seems to have a family, where the only expression of love is trivial and sexual, here the emotions are deep and adult.

The movie elevates us to our higher beings, and that is why the experience is lasting, and enjoyable.

What I also liked about this movie is that the movie is pure and clean, and suitable for families again unlike American shows where there is always some agenda from some interest group. Here you are free to be yourself. below is in response to a perverted reviewer with mind in gutter who thought this move was misleading. Please do not associate yourself with this movie. This is obviously made for people with human soul, and not you.

Have you experienced a feeling like this? The kind of feeling that your sorrow and loneliness nailed you down and you fell into the deep darkness alone, then you stood up, and finds sparks and sparks of lights appeared, leading you to the end of the nightmare, and when came out, you found the sunshine was warmer than ever? This is the movie "when Marnie was there".

I like this movie. It's a story about two lonely girls, about family and the world, magical but real. As a OCD viewer, my left brain kept investigating who that girl is, and my right was eager to know what will happen next. The good thing is, however, both my brains were astonished and satisfied again and again, unlike how other Ghibli movies roll. This new film, which is the first one after the retirement of the two great founders, shows the skills and talent of the next generation Ghibli artists. Future is saved, or maybe better?

And as many Ghibli movies, "when Marnie was there" is full of beautiful paintings and musics, voices recreating the characters vividly, and an unforgettable theme song in the end. The story, like I said, is fabulous. I don't like spoiling movies, and the secret in this case is the core and foundation of everything. I'll leave it to you to discover. Enjoy!