Shadowlocked - If you’ve ever been puzzled by the disappearance of a pin, perplexed by vanishing sugar lumps or mystified by the inexplicable absence of small household items, Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation studio behind such modern classics as My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away, might just shed some light on the matter. The company has ventured into the world of Mary Norton’s Borrowers, a series of children’s books about tiny people living in homes and “borrowing” items from the humans who live there, recreating their world in beautifully realised detail in the charming Arrietty.
Edward Westman writes: "The story itself will be familiar to many westerners having previously been adapted by the BBC and the subject of a dire adaptation starring John Goodman, Arrietty may be relocated to the outskirts of a Tokyo suburb but most of the original elements from Mary Norton’s source are intact. The film keeps in Ghibli tradition by focusing on the joy of everyday rituals (preparing dinner, doing laundry) with a unique slant, one scene in particular see’s Arrietty grinding up oversized biscuits with a mortar and pestle. Thus amplifying the sadness we feel when events take a turn for the worst, as the Clock family (the Borrowers in question) find themselves forced from their home. Arrietty is charmingly realised as an inquisitive yet timid presence, resourceful enough to adopt a sewing pin as a sword and vulnerable enough that we care for her safety whilst trusting her as a heroine."
The classic children's story gets the Studio Ghibli treatment. The images are beyond reproach but will young audiences be interested in the ambigious ending?
Arrietty is a delightful film that is a fantastic debut for the youngest director of a Studio Ghibli film. Hiromasa Yonebayashi has crafted an animated picture that is full of colour and emotion. However its simplistic story and dialogue, whilst accommodates for a younger audience, doesn’t hold the subtle complexities as seen in other Studio Ghibli works like Only Yesterday or Whisper of the Heart. But that doesn’t stop Arrietty from being a thoroughly enjoyable animated film. Highly Recommended
