The Secret World of Arrietty

Dir: Hiromasa Yonebayashi

2010

***

The Secret World of Arrietty or just Arrietty, is a great adaptation of Mary Norton's wonderful tale of The Borrowers brought to life from Studio Ghibli - a name you can always rely on. It isn't however, your typical Studio Ghibli film. There are no Japanese mythical creatures, folk-law or odd-ball characters we've come used to from Hayao Mayazaki and company but Hiromasa Yonebayashi (Ghibli animation director in his directional debut) and his team have done good, they've kept to story and kept its western origins. I'm not sure why there is an American English and an English English version, I saw the English English version and thought the voice cast were well suited (the great Olivia Colman in particular). To be totally honest I like my Ghibli films better when they are 100% theirs but if anyone is going to adapt children’s stories, then I'd rather it was them every time. In a world were kids are bombarded with 3D CGI headache inducing animated films where dogs skateboard and swear at cats, and the moral of most stories is that popularity is most important - it is a very welcome relief. The animation is, as always, in glorious 2D, is utter beautiful and sticks to story but also adds to it in its own unique way. Ghibli's founding members Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki had wanted to adapt the story for over forty years so it was nice to see it finally happen and for them to give the opportunity to one of their best animators to make it. The music is also one of the studio best soundtracks by far.