
The traditional and intricate animation paves the perfect path for the narrative, juxtaposing the realistic nature of the script with equally representational and lifelike action.

Still, these starkly realistic concepts are masked with playful humour and a delightfully charming narrative that ensures the film’s appeal for a wider audience. Ultimately, it is a loving, coming-of-age tale that also shows the darker side of growing up, combating self-loathing as well as the yearning desire to just fit in.

Though the film’s plot focuses solely on the friendship between two children, it is not only a children’s film. As their bubbly, whirlwind relationship strengthens, so does Anna’s confidence and she begins to reconnect with the world she once pushed aside. It is here she meets Marnie, a vibrant and curious child who is delighted to form a friendship with Anna: “You are my perfect secret,” she says. It is a film studio that has consecutively produced first-rate animations that have made us smile, laugh and even cry, and director Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s second feature, When Marnie Was There, certainly does not disappoint.Īdapted from Joan G Robinson’s glorious modern classic, When Marnie Was There tells the story of Anna, a desperately lonely girl from Sapporo city, who travels to visit her relatives in the countryside.

We were sent a DVD copy for the purposes of this review.There’s a glistening, magical aura around the name Studio Ghibli. ‘When Marnie Was There’ is available on DVD and BluRay in the UK from STUDIOCANAL. But rest assured, when you come When Marnie Was There this will not disappoint. If you have yet to experience the wonder of Studio Ghibli, this is not the best place to start – depending on age, I would recommend any of the films mentioned above.
#When marnie was there review full
My 4-year-old daughter was visibly moved, and full of questions about the often melancholy tale at the end. This emotionally intense tale will also fire the imagination of young minds, and despite it’s U certificate is a story of loss, resentment, heartbreak – and love. The troubled, timid Anna and the ethereal Marnie are both worthy additions to their range of engaging girls such as Kiki ( Kiki’s Delivery Service), Satsuki & Mei ( My Neighbour Totoro), Shizuku ( Whisper of the Heart), Nausicaä ( Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind), Chihiro ( Spirited Away), and more. Keen to offer my daughter alternatives to the princesses of Disney, Studio Ghibli has been a beacon of wonderful female characters. But this is a far richer and more powerful tale, that will likely bring a tear to your eyes by the end. Her loner instincts initially remain, but she begins to form an intense relationship with the mysterious blonde girl Marnie, who lives in a mansion across the tidal marshes.ĭirector Hiromasa Yonebayashi – a Miyazaki apprentice – directed a previous Ghibli feature Arriety, also based on a classic English novel by a female author ( The Borrowers by Mary Norton). To aid her mental and physical health, she is sent to a seaside town to stay with relatives for the summer. Anna is a 12-year-old who suffers from asthma and sometimes crippling anxiety. Robinson, and transposes the story to Sapporo in Japan. This film is based on the Norfolk set novel by English writer Joan G.
#When marnie was there review movie
While neither of them have any credit on this, it is unmistakably recognisable as a Studio Ghibli movie (I cite my 4-year-old daughter’s reaction as proof).

The studio is most notably associated with co-founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, both of whom have announced their retirement. Widely publicised as the final feature film from legendary Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli, the gothic and mysterious When Marnie Was There shows what a great loss this would be.
