Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz, James Caan, Lucy Liu,
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Director: Isao Takahata
Rating: 4.5/5
Studio Ghibli have been making beautiful animation movies for nearly thirty years, and this week they are back with the already acclaimed The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya sees Isao Takahata return to the director's chair for his first Studio Ghibli film since My Neightbours The Yamadas back in 1999, and it is a film that really will not disappoint.
Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter (Caan) and his wife (Mary Steenburgen), a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady (Moretz). The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter her - but ultimately she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime.
Studio Ghibli just seem to get better and better with every movie that they make - believe me when I you that you won't see another animation film like The Tale of the Princess Kaguya this year.
To say that this is a beautiful movie is one hell of an understatement; the hand painted images are lush, unique and will totally take your breath away. Studio Ghibli really have outdone themselves this time.
I have always loved the handcrafted feel of Studio Ghibli movies, they are also such a welcome relief from all of the CGI driven animation movies that dominate the big screen these days. I love the elegant watercolour look as there is something incredibly enchanting about this style of animation.
Studio Ghibli have a tradition of greating strong, interesting and sometime flawed female protagonists, and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is no differnet.
However, there is a sadness to this central character as she is shackled by the shackles of society and not free to live her life as she chooses. This is a movie about the sadness and joy of human life - and the ending really will break your heart.
The movie is a little long at 137 minutes, but the film so so beautiful and so lovingly constructed and told that you don't mind the indulgece of Isao Takahata. It is great to see him back in the director's chair for Studio Ghibli as he has delivered some great films over the years.
Grave of the Fireflies is one of his most powerful works, but The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is right up there with his best.
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a movie that has real magic to it from start to finish as Studio Ghibli show once again that they are true masters of the animation genre. An absolute must see.