Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi. Written by Mary Norton (novel), Hayao Miyazaki, and Keiko Niwa.
Bottom line: Beautiful animated movie
that I would highly recommend to anyone especially with children.
4/4
The Secret World of Arreitty is
based on the novel The Borrowers
by Mary Norton. You might be familiar with the 1997 adaptation The
Borrowers starring John Goodman
and Jim Broadbent. Jim Broadbent is one Harry Potter
professor who tells Tom Riddle
about that secret spell. Speaking of Harry Potter,
do you know else is in that movie? Draco Malfoy! Or, rather, Tom
Felton. Anyway, The Secret World of Arrietty
is the Japanese version of that movie. It is made by, Studio Gibli,
the same people who did Spirited Away (among
other really great movies).
The story is about
these two-inch-tall people called Borrowers. They are called
Borrowers because they borrow what they need from humans to survive.
They only take what would be easily missed (like sugar or a tissue)
so as to remain hidden from the human world. Yeah, I know what you
are thinking, “They are not borrowing. They are stealing.” The
Thieves doesn't quite have the same children's movie ring to it.
Two of the things I
love about Miyazaki films is that there is a strong female lead and a
unique good vs evil theme. In an interview, he explains that in life
there isn't really “good vs. evil” in the classical sense, but
rather, that evil exists within us all. Haru, the maid, is the
closest thing we have to a villain. She calls the Borrowers thieves
and wants to capture them. She doesn't want to kill or harm them. She
just wants to catch them. In the 1997 film, the driving force is that
the family of Borrowers have to escape the villainous exterminator
(Goodman). This threat of death doesn't exist in The Secret World
of Arreitty. Primarily, it is a coming of age story; Arreitty
learns the importance of family and friendship.
This is an
incredibly beautiful movie. The animation is light and relaxing. In
the future, I suspect that I will put it on in the background just so
I can look up from time to time and see it. There is a shot early in
the movie of a snarling cat which chases after Arrietty. Even though
it is a ferocious image, it still has a happy and fun feel. The
music by Cécile Corbel, with harp and acoustic guitar, matches the
tone of the movie perfectly.
If you are familiar
with Disney movies, you are probably familiar with their plot line
pattern. I believe I may have mentioned this in a previous review
but, in any case, the movie goes: happy, happy, sad, happy, happy,
sad, happy. There is always a point before the happy ending where
everything seems to go wrong for the protagonist. That scene probably
has a thunderstorm in it.
In The Secret
World of Arrietty, it never really gets too sad. It's like if you
are planning a picnic for a gorgeous spring afternoon. You are
preparing everything in the morning but then it starts to drizzle. It
isn't a thunderstorm and the rain is itself picturesque but you can't
exactly eat outside. Fortunately, the rain clears and, by late
afternoon, everything is dry enough for you to continue with your
picnic plans. If this were a typical Disney movie, you might've
gotten caught in a torrent. The food would be ruined and you'd be
soaked. Somehow, by the time the storm ends, things would wind up
alright. You'd probably make a new friend and find a new restaurant.
If you are familiar
with my reviews, you might know I like to make an analogy between
film and food. The Secret World of Arrietty is like a
perfectly ripe strawberry. It is a pleasure to look at, smell, and
even hold. When you taste it, it is smooth, sweet, and healthy and,
with a run time of only nintey-five minutes, it is a snack that won't
leave you stuffed. If you have children or know anyone with children,
point them to this movie. Even if you don't have children, check out
The Secret World of Arrietty.
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