Review of The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) by Haydnengel — 06 May 2020

Real rating: 77/100.

Sadly, I did not watch the film in Japanese. Which is something I try my best not to do. I am a firm believer in subtitles over dubbing. As dubbing is not the intended means of viewing and quite often you can find a film losing some of its sparkle or charm when a second language is put into play. A language that may not catch the nuance of emotions or the absence thereof. I do feel this might be a factor in why I only gave this film the score I do.

DE: It is lovely to see a first-time director hit it out of the park on their initial go round and with his follow up being "When Marnie was There". We know it was not a fluke either. I really enjoyed the overall effort put in, and the film looks and feels fantastic. Though as is often the case of the non-Miyazaki directed films, it has a slow start that does capture the viewer's attention as much as this film does deserve.

W: Miyazaki Hayao is back to his writing ways, and as always the charm resonates off the screen, save for the character of Sho. While downbeat due to health issues, the scene with him and Arrietty on the rock does not sit well given the rest of the film. I understand that he is meant to be disassociated with society and so his remarks have not been filtered through natural development. However, this scene is intended to build trust between the two characters, and it fails at this. Second and again Sho being a factor as we progress throughout the film, the relationship between Arrietty and Sho seems unearned and more like it is shoehorned in rather than an in-depth physical development. Aside from that, I enjoyed the writing of Arrietty and the ending while apparently not suited for the American market is one that seems wholly fitting the environmental tale/message we are weaving throughout.

C: How many times am I going to gush over Okui Atsushi and the excellent work he produces. Every shot is gorgeous, every angle important to the tale. From shadows that hang from the trees to the subtle shifts from perspective to perspective in terms of height and size, the viewer is able to soak it all in without feeling like it is overwhelming their senses. This shows us how much one can shift their style if we look at this and Whisper of the Heart side by side.

A: Again regrettably I watched the film in English, due to subtitle issues and I will applaud Saoirse Ronan's turn as Arrietty. She gave her depth, nuance and strength, which really helped sell who the character is. As for the others save for Holland, their performance was decent enough, nothing outstanding, but nothing worthy of condemning. Holland, on the other hand, I do not know if it was his performance or the writing of the character itself (so one must fault Miyazaki as well for this). Either way, Sho is meant to be distant and trapped in a bubble, and his dialogue suggests he has a low EQ, but the delivery never fits this character who does not understand social interactions yet longs for them. A character who desires so strongly to be of use in this world. A human who is looking for a reason to keep fighting. I felt it lacking.

S: The music was lovely, as was the intentional natural sounds creeping out of every corner. Cécile Corbel's lyrics and sound are so refreshing it gives a solid Celtic charm (and when I say Celtic I do not mean Irish) which makes one see Arrietty in another light and in the end credits one cannot help but feel this pulsing life stemming out which speaks to the young borrower's character.

PD: Yonebayashi Hiromasa not only directed this film, but he was also the storyboard artist, which only further highlights the need for the director of an animated feature to also be the storyboard artist. You have to have the vision from the get-go, or it falls apart far too quickly.

BA: I do find it a flaw in many of Ghilbi's "realistic" films. I never find the outfits or the make-up and styling to be too valuable and could have been interchanged rather easily. Though I did like the shift that comes when Arrietty takes off her hairclip. When she does so, it changes your perception of her and occurs in moments where we are meant to see her differently.

Notes: I did thoroughly enjoy the film, but something about it felt like a thin story stretched to its limits. Now I am not a fan of B plots and C plots. I believe that everything should be contained within the A story, but somehow this film feels like a TV show with a short A story, and I feel like that hurts the film. Though I suppose I am the only one who was longing for more depth and character building.