Arrietty (2010)

Studio Ghibli is legendary. Not only can you almost instantly tell whether or not a film is by their hands, they are almost without exception masterful pieces of cinema, often with engaging stories and memorable characters. If you ever need a seal of approval to watch anything and everything a studio has produced, then Ghibli is it.

'Arrietty' is no exception.

This tale is based on the book 'The Borrowers', but it is set in Tokyo instead of Britain. Sho is a young boy whose parents are divorced and he hardly ever sees his mom or dad. They are both way too busy escaping in their jobs. He is sent to stay with his aunt, whilst he awaits heart surgery. So he must never exert himself, or he might die. It figures that he is bored to death. Meanwhile, in this house, the Borrowers (minute people) have a teenage daughter, Arrietty, who is going on her first borrowing trip. They 'steal' odds and ends in order to survive, but it is not supposed to be noticed. But unfortunately, Sho spots Arrietty. He wants to befriend her (which he eventually does), but Arrietty's parents feel they should move again, because humans often want to catch them. This is certainly the case for the housekeeper Haru, who in fact manages to capture Arrietty's mother. But Sho and Arrietty work together to free her mother and eventually the family does move away, but not after a heartfelt goodbye. 

Sure, I just went and told you the full story. But the story is not what's the strongest here. It's the characters. They are so fleshed out, so multidimensional, it puts many live action films to shame. Also, as with a lot of other Ghibli productions, it's not about the action, but the people. Arrietty is a feisty teenage girl who is finding her way in this world. She connects with Sho, who in turn is more than happy that he has found a friend and even better: something/someone to live for, as he felt totally abandoned by his parents. Their dynamic is what makes this film so fuzzy and endearing. 

The animation is simply stunning. They have once again taken their time to do some quality work and it leaps straight off the screen. The colours are vibrant and vivid, the environments are intriguing and the eye for detail is insane. Check the house where the Borrowers live. You'll need several repeated viewings to take it all in, trust me. 

The ending is also one of the more emotional closures to a story. Sho and Arrietty say goodbye as Arrietty and her family set out to find a new home. If it doesn't make you tear up, I honestly don't know what will. It's just that beautiful and even though it's not a downer ending, it will hit you right in the feels.

Once again, this is a must see. It is not as well known as 'Spirited Away' and maybe you could argue it's a little less imaginative, being graced with a more straightforward plot and setup, but it still is a warm, kind film of a sort that is often sorely lacking this day and age.