The Boy and The Heron (2023)

 

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Hayao Miyazaki just doesn't want to truly retire...and honestly, I am so glad. What would I have done without this movie? Being all at once dark, cute, quirky, and beautiful, t's not going to be for everyone (something I feel like I've been saying a lot about my movie choices lately), but if you are a fan of Studio Ghibli films, I really think this one is an amazing addition to their collection.

What's this film about? I almost don't want to tell you! In some ways, I don't know if I even could do it justice. I walked into it after seeing a trailer for it, but didn't really know much, honestly. And I really feel like that was a perfect way to experience it. Twist after twist, laugh after laugh, and constantly waffling between awe and bewilderment, it was an incredibly fun cinema experience. There are some dark moments (particularly at the beginning), so be aware that this isn't a young child-friendly film.

I watched this one in Japanese with English subtitles. I was happy to watch it either way, and would love to watch it again in the future with the English dubbing. I feel like both methods have their merits, and often different experiences, so I would say to watch it in whichever way works best for you. I know that for some it can be difficult to focus on anything other than the subtitles in a piece, and this movie is so visually stunning that I would make sure you watch whichever method allows you to see that to its full extent.

Here's what I feel I can say about it:
It's fantastical
The animation is beautiful
There are multiple twists that I don't think you'll see coming
The music is gorgeous
You might honestly question what kind of fever dream you walked into multiple times

So, without telling you too much other than this, I would absolutely recommend it!

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Do you enjoy animation? Have you seen any Studio Ghibli films before? If so, what are your favourites?

Mini-Reviews: Only Yesterday, Only Lovers Left Alive, To The Bone

TW: To The Bone - mental health, eating disorders, self-harm

northamptonfilmfestival.com

Only Yesterday

One of Studio Ghibli's "quieter" movies, as I like to call them. They are not fantastical like Howl's Moving Castle or Spirited Away, but they are beautiful snapshots of life and feelings. I liked the premise of this movie when I looked it up a year or two ago, but wasn't sure how interested in it I would be since I was more familiar with the aforementioned films' styles. But wow did I ever love this one. It's sad and nostalgic, and also hopeful and lovely. It was the right time for me to watch it, for sure. Definitely would recommend giving it a watch.

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Only Lovers Left Alive

This is a favourite of one of my friends, so I decided to watch it. Although overall I'm a fan of Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton and I are a bit hit or miss, so I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this one. Overall, it was fine but nothing to write home about. It just felt like it was missing something. It is slow paced, and mostly about the characters than an overarching plot, but...I wanted there to be more. More character development, or something. I would watch it again in order to see if there was more to it that I missed, but so far it hasn't grabbed me.

Favourite Five: Studio Ghibli Movies...so far!

For those of you who aren't familiar with the work of Studio Ghibli, here's the basics:
Studio Ghibli, established in 1985, is a Japanese animation group by Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki, Isao Takahata, and Yasuyoshi Tokuma. It has been the brilliant engine behind many of the highest grossing anime films in Japan, and has developed somewhat of a cult following in North America. Known for its quirky style, but thought-provoking storylines, if you can watch these with an open mind and heart, they are definitely an experience you won't forget.

I've been lucky enough to enjoy these movies for about five years now, and have seen nine so far. Although there are a few other films regularly referred to as being part of the studio (being made by the same people before it's official formation, etc.), these are the official movies made under the Studio Ghibli label, with the ones I have seen highlighted:

Laputa: Castle in the Sky
Grave of the Fireflies
My Neighbour Totoro
Kiki's Delivery Service
Only Yesterday
Porco Rosso
Pom Poko
Whisper of the Heart
Princess Mononoke
My Neighbours the Yamadas
Spirited Away
The Cat Returns
Howl's Moving Castle
Tales from Earthsea
Ponyo
The Secret World of Arrietty
From Up on Poppy Hill
The Wind Rises
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
When Marnie Was There

Now that I have a good chunk of these delightful films under my belt, I figured I'd share which ones have been my favourites. Although I fully expect this list might change as I get to view more of them, here are my current top 5 in no particular order! (And my goodness was it hard to pick between a couple!)