Ani-MAY-tion: Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

My memory isn't what it used to be, and even some years ago it wasn't always the sharpest when compared to some others, but I MAY have ended up seeing Kiki's Delivery Service before I saw any other Studio Ghibli movies. It was certainly one of the first that won me over, alongside Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. And it remains a firm favourite, absolutely up there with the best of them.

The story is simple. Kiki is a young witch. At the age of thirteen, tradition dictates that she leaves home and looks to make her own way in the world. She flies through the sky on her broom, accompanied by her feline familiar, Jiji. Eventually landing in a town that she thinks may need a witch, Kiki struggles to come up with a plan to best make use of her particular talents, until she helps a woman by making a quick delivery. That leads to her gaining somewhere to live, a job, and a connection with various town citizens, including a young boy named Tombo.

Okay, for the sake of full transparency, when I first watched Kiki's Delivery Service I watched the English-language version (I cannot recall if any other version was available on the disc when I first bought it) and that remains the preferred version for me to choose, although I did also put on the subtitles to check for any major differences in the translation. I'm sorry, Kirsten Dunst has a voice that works very well in the role of Kiki, and Phil Hartman is great as Jiji. You also get good performances from Tress MacNeille, Janeane Garofalo, and Edie McClurg, to drop the names you may recognise, and Matthew Lawrence is fine as Tombo, the boy who takes an interest in Kiki from the first time that she arrives in town.

Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, based on the book by Eiko Kadono, this is as gorgeous as you'd expect, and as imaginative and lovingly crafted. It may not delve into the pure fantasy elements that are contained within his more celebrated works but, don't be fooled, every frame of this movie has a delightful serving of magic mixed in.

And the gorgeous animation is just a cherry on top. Kiki's Delivery Service is also similar to the other Studio Ghibli greats in the way that it delivers some meaningful lessons to younger viewers in a way that never feels patronising or silly. Kiki may be a witch, but she may as well be any young teen who has started trying to sample independent life, be that in the form of getting a paper delivery round to earn pocket money or being brave enough to head along to a party full of new faces not all guaranteed to be friendly. Every child will identify with aspects of Kiki's journey.

One last thing worth mentioning. People are alarmed at times to see Kiki on her own. They are concerned for a child who may not be able to look after herself. But nobody is ever phased by the fact that she's a witch. It's just something that everyone accepts, which is another lovely plus that you don't think of as being so important for children until you watch something aimed at them that is so beautifully put together. Whatever the youngsters who watch this want to be, they should feel comfortable in the knowledge that so many other people in the world will accept them. That feeling may become worn away over time, as reality sadly erodes the optimism, but I hope they cling to it for as long as possible, and use it as a powerful core that helps them bat away more and more assholes as they eventually have to deal with more aspects of adulthood.

9/10

You can buy the movie here.
Americans can buy it here.

Ani-MAY-tion Month: Spirited Away (2001)

The name Hayao Miyazaki is one familiar to many fans of animation. The man has been delivering great works of art for years and years now, and is most famous for My Neighbour Totoro and this one, the film that seemed to win him an even wider audience (in my experience). It was certainly the film that introduced me to his magical universe, and it remains my favourite from Studio Ghibli.

The story is all about young Chihiro (voiced by Rumi Hiiragi) struggling to survive in a world of spirits and fantastical beings. She's out to rescue her parents, you see, because they were turned into pigs after eating food from a stall in an abandoned theme park. In order to get them back to their human state, and get them back out of the spirit world, Chihiro must work hard in a bath house, and must never EVER forget her real name. She is helped by a young man named Haku (Miyu Irino), but there's a harsh witch named Yubaba (Mari Natsuki) who will do her best to make sure that Chihiro fails in her quest.

As inventive, gorgeous and magical as any other Miyazaki movie, Spirited Away once again mixes some dark themes and moments with a child-friendly selection of oddities in a way that shows how attuned the director is to his audience. There's a lot here that seems scary and dangerous, but it's always offset by either the bravery of Chihiro or the cute cast of supporting characters.

The vocal cast all do a great job, but they're lucky to be accompanying some absolutely gorgeous visuals, even by the standards of Studio Ghibli. The bath house, which provides the setting for most of the movie, is lovingly detailed, but then there are the other locations, including the bridge and steep stairway that provides one way to enter the bath house (I know, I know, it doesn't sound worth mentioning, but it really is), that are all just as wonderful to look at. The characters range from the fairly solid and normal Chihiro to the multi-limbed Kamaji (who supplies the work area above him with the hot water that they need), and from the sweet little "black soots" to the large, and sometimes scary, "No Face". Each and every one is memorable and created with great care.

I always feel inadequate when discussing the works of Hayao Miyazaki. There are only so many ways I can try to praise him enough without resorting to displaying a selection of screenshots from any movie that he's involved with. All of his films are made with heart, they all allow for fantastical adventures throughout a cinematic landscape steeped in rich history and culture, and almost every frame could be hung up as a work of art (as cliched as that statement is by now).

While I have never been accused of being the most mature individual in any room, this film really takes me back to the state of mind that I had throughout my childhood - wonder at the world around me, fear and joy as new discoveries came into my life, and a naive belief that everyone in the world had good in their heart. It's good to recapture those feelings, and it's something that Miyazaki often does with astonishing ease.

9/10

http://www.amazon.com/Spirited-Away-Hayao-Miyazaki/dp/B00005JLEU/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1399399704&sr=1-1&keywords=spirited+away+blu

Ponyo (2008)

Ponyo is yet another slice of visually stunning, amazingly imaginative, brilliance from the beloved Studio Ghibli and even compared to many of their other movies I'd have to say that this is one of their very best.

Imagine an animated film that mixes a bit of Splash with a bit of Sphere and a bit of Cocoon, with a hint of Aquaman for good measure. That's what Ponyo is.

Things start with someone who looks like a red-heaired David Bowie looking unnaturally comfortable in the depths of the ocean while he does oceanic stuff (not to be confused with Oceanic stuff). A little fish sneaks away and then heads off to meet a little boy from dry land. The little boy (Sosuke) doesn't realise just what powers the little fish has but when Ponyo, for that is the name that the fish takes, licks a cut on the hand of the little boy she starts to change. And that change could mean a lot of trouble as Ponyo is returned to her natural environment and then endeavours to escape in order to meet up once again with Sosuke. The water becomes more and more turbulent, which could affect everyone around Sosuke, especially his seafaring father.

I used to think it was ridiculous when I heard people talking about how Studio Ghibli has put itself in a position to rival, and even overtake, Disney but a film as delightful and gorgeous and constantly inventive as Ponyo reminds me that, yes, there are indeed one of the biggest names in the world of animation today. Watching Ponyo made me think of all of the other little touches that I may not have been as receptive to in other Studio Ghibli movies (with my main concern being whether or not I had underrated the wonderful My Neighbour Totoro - not something I usually consider with a movie that I have given 8/10 to).

The vocal cast all do just fine - I listened to the original Japanese audio and read subtitles although with Studio Ghibli outings you often get an excellent American track and that's also the case here, with people such as Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson, Cloris Leachman, Lily Tomlin and Betty White lending their not inconsiderable talent to the project.

But, as ever with a Studio Ghibli movie, this is all about the visuals and the heart of the story. Staying on just the right side of sweetness, Ponyo has a very cute pair of lead characters in Ponyo and Sosuke as well as a nice supporting cast. The exuberance of the children, oblivious to what trouble may be brewing around them, is well portrayed and raises a number of easy smiles. Hayao Miyazaki is again both the writer and director here and he simply cements his reputation as one of the best artists working in the field today. Every frame here, just like almost every frame in every other movie that he's ever done, can be taken, framed and hung on a wall.

It's a story of the sea, a story of magic and a story of some wonderful childhood times. Ponyo is just one of the best family movies that I've seen in a long time. In fact, I may watch it again right now.

9/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ponyo-Blu-ray-DVD-Combi-Pack/dp/B0032YNDA0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1346319744&sr=8-3

My Neighbour Totoro (1988).

It’s easy to look at reviews of any movie by Hayao Miyazaki and just roll your eyes at the way people seem to fall over themselves to praise every one of them but it’s also worth remembering that the movies get so much praise because, more often than not, they ARE actually that good.

This outing from Studio Ghibli concentrates on young Satsuki and her little sister, Mei, as the two girls help their father clean up their new home and make it hospitable for the day they all hope will be coming soon – the day that their mother will be well enough to return to live with them. As children often do, the two girls make a lot of things into games, including the cleaning of the house (which involves chasing away soot sprites). When Stasuki starts at her new school, Mei is left to her own devices for the day and finds her way into a hidey-hole occupied by the large, fantastical Totoro. Nobody believes little Mei but eventually Satsuki starts to think that there is some truth in the tale, especially when it looks like Totoro may prove helpful during this difficult period of adjustment.

Now the plot synopsis I have just provided is both inadequate and also slightly misleading. My Neighbour Totoro is not a movie all about magical figures and childish stories and yet it IS about those things, in a way. Some people may watch the movie and think I am clearly talking nonsense but the movie, for me, was more about the way children find to deal with difficult situations and possible pain. Children are hardy little creatures, thanks in large part to their imagination and their undiluted reservoirs of optimism, and this movie is all about that childish ability to deal with change and to keep coping.

Yes, there are the usual moments featuring wondrous creatures and strange supernatural entities but it could be argued that these things are all in the minds of the children. What can’t be argued is just how well Miyazaki captures that feeling of childish exploration, that time of your life when every dark area was to be approached with the mixture of fear and excitement thumping in your chest.

My Neighbour Totoro is about the big titular creature, a cat/bus thing, little soot sprites and flights of fancy. But it’s also, equally, about moving into a new home, making new friends and worrying about a loved one who is ill. The whole thing is quite a delight.

8/10.

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