Starring: Kiernan Shipka, Hailee Steinfeld, John C. Reilly, Geena Davis, Kathy Bates
When Marnie Was There
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Rating: 4.5/5
I am always excited when a Studio Ghibli movie is on the horizon as this studio really is a master of the animation genre... When Marnie Was There is their latest offering and sees Hiromasa Yonebayashi in the director's chair.
When Marnie was there is only the second feature film for Yonebayashi and comes four years after he made his debut with Arrietty, which was also a Studio Ghibli movie.
The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Joan G. Robinson and is a touching tale of love, loneliness, and friendship. When Marnie Was There is the story of an emotionally distant adolescent girl, who upon being sent to live with relatives in the countryside becomes obsessed with an abandoned mansion, and infatuated with a girl who lives there; a girl who may or may not be real.
Don't get me wrong, I love the CGI-driven animation movies as much as the next person and it is amazing what technology has helped these movies achieve... but there is a special place in my heart for the hand drawn animation.
For the last thirty years, Studio Ghibli has really championed and celebrated the hand-drawn animation style and When Marnie Was There is another exquisite looking film.
There is a wonderful charm to this movie as well as a real melancholy, the story explores just how we can be haunted by actions and decisions from our past.
When Marnie Was There doesn't have the sweeping grandeur and scale of some of its other movies, instead, it is an intimate coming of age tale that explores themes of loneliness, isolation, and friendship.
Yes, When Marnie Was There may not be on the same scale of some of the Studio's most famous films, but it still has that familiar magic that makes these movies so wonderful. It is a movie that truly transports you into a different world that is packed with great characters and vibrant colours.
This may only be Yonebayashi's second feature film in the director's chair, but he steered this movie with a real confidence and I am excited to see how he develops as an animation filmmaker over the coming years.
If you are looking for an alternative animation movie to enjoy this summer, When Marnie Was There is a movie that is not to be missed. When Marnie Was There a touching and rich story that captures you attention from the opening scene to the closing credits.
For me, When Marnie Was There is a truly beautiful and poignant film that can stand proudly alongside the Studio Ghibli movies that have gone before it.
When Marnie Was There is out now.