O Mundo dos Pequeninos

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.

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.

I went into this film with very limited expectations. I'm not especially a fan of animated movies, and have only seen a small handful of anime productions. So it came as a very unexpected surprise to discover that I absolutely loved this movie. It just seemed to get everything pretty much right. The visual artistry was quite beautiful, with a great deal of invention in the scenes where the little Borrowers navigate through the wide expanses of the house they live underneath. The music was quite stunningly appropriate, with the lilting Celtic sound just perfect in tone for this melancholic story, with some lovely vocal work too. And these images and sounds were combined together into a simple narrative that had an enormous amount of heart to it. I felt a warm buzz long after leaving the theatre.

The Borrower Arrietty is a beautiful film. I cannot really find fault with it. So from this reviewer who has very limited knowledge of anime I give it a near perfect nine.

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")

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