When Marnie Was There (2014)

Review

103min

Genre:      Animation, Drama, Family, Mystery

Director:   Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Cast:        Sara Takatsuki, Kasumi Arimura, Susumu Terajima…and more

Writers:    Joan G. Robinson, Keiko Niwa, Masashi Ando… and more

-Synopsis-

A demure, socially anxious and emotionally detached teenage girl is sent on a Japanese countryside stay with relatives by her adoptive mother; only to be drawn to a lakeside mansion and the mysterious girl who lives there, with whom she discovers her place in the world and unlocks the secrets of her past in the latest touching animation from Japan’s iconic Studio Ghibli.

Having delighted audiences for decades with their blend of stunning traditional animation and evocatively touching themes; the iconic Studio Ghibli brings us a Japanese “Anime” adaptation of Joan G. Robinson’s distinctly British young-adult ghost novel ‘When Marnie Was There’, one of Ghibli founder and spiritual leader Hayao Miyazaki’s favourite children’s books.

Whether you watch the film in its original Japanese language with subtitles, or the English dubbed version with the voices of Hailee Steinfeld, Kiernan Shipka & co.; the animation style where the dialogue doesn’t exactly synch with the mouth movements means it makes little difference, and the emotion won’t be lost in translation.

‘When Marnie Was There’ is no doubt one of the more sober and less mystical Ghibli productions, so if you’re expecting fantastical story elements as in ‘Spirited Away’ or ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’, you might be disappointed here. Rather than working with Japanese mythology or personal fantasy inspiration, director Hiromasa Yonebayashi crafts a demure but captivating Japanese adaptation of a European story.

But there’s plenty that’s magical about this film, not least of which are the typically stunningly and unique visuals; simple but effective character designs on top of extraordinarily detailed landscapes and backdrops which look like a Turner watercolour or a Monet masterpiece, the combination results in yet another vivid and masterful artistic achievement.

The story is basically is a simple slow-paced coming-of-age drama which is familiar territory for Ghibli; a moving narrative about loss, abandonment, loneliness and belonging, infused with a measure of mystery which keeps you enthralled and curious throughout, and even has a tinge of a supernatural element… or does it?

When combined with yet another wonderfully evocative and magical Studio Ghibli musical score, this time from Takatsugu Muramatsu; ‘When Marnie Was There’  is a slightly different but nevertheless enchanting experience from a group of filmmakers who add something very unique and welcome to global cinema.

Not only is ‘When Marnie Was There’ a striking visual representation of an increasingly rare cinematic art form; but a great example of how an animation can be as poignant, touching and ultimately uplifting as any high calibre Hollywood drama.

We’re saddened by the rumours since Miyazaki’s retirement that this might be the last Studio Ghibli film, aside from foreign collaborations like the upcoming French/Japanese animation ‘The Red Turtle’. But if this is indeed the case, we’ll have to be content with the 30 year filmography of this unique studio and their groundbreaking filmmakers.

The Bottom Line…

Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi applies the Studio Ghibli magic to a British coming-of-age story in this captivating universal drama about abandonment and the struggles of growing up;  ‘When Marnie Was There’ may be less mystical and vibrant than its counterparts from the iconic Japanese studio, but is an equally magical and moving animation triumph.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Spirited Away (2001)

Studio Ghibli’s Oscar-winning global hit animation; following the fortunes of a lonely young Japanese girl, whose rural relocation turns into a fantastical journey when she’s unexpectedly transported to a mystical spirit world where her character will be tested in Hayao Miyazaki’s Anime masterpiece.

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki and starring Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette and Miyu Irino among others.

Comments

comments

Comments are closed.