An eight-or-ten-year-old girl, walking out with her parents from a 4:20 screening at the Regal 12-plex: “The characters were all different. They weren’t just a bunch of screaming old ladies.”
Damn right. This is Miyazaki we’re talking about here. Interesting, differentiated characters, including the residents of an old-age facility, voiced in the English-language version by the likes of Cloris Leachman and Betty White. Also, insane, beautiful, whacked-out imagery like the above still, which somehow reminds me of a Windsor McKay Winsor McCay panel. Also, a sweet, unusual story. Also…
Look, I’ve been pretty much queer for Miyazaki since seeing Castle of Cagliostro in the early ’80s. Whenever I traveled to Japan in that decade I just scarfed up every Miyazaki or Studio Ghibli laser disc I could get my hands on, English subtitles or no. (Actually, I think it was always “no.”) I still think Laputa is one of the greatest action/sci-fi/fantasy films ever made…so look, as far as I’m concerned, the guy can do ZERO wrong. Forgive me for my feeling that this belief about the artist in this case rather inhibits my ability to say much that’s really meaningful about his work. You should totally see this, is my principal feeling here. It’s a bit more in the adorable kid stuff vein of Totoro than the more intense and elaborate likes of Laputa or Nausicaa or what have you, but it’s entirely gorgeous and exhilarating and life-affirming. Manohla Dargis’ review of the film in today’s Times captures the picture’s delicate delights quite aptly, should you find my unilateral recommendation a bit too sketchy. That is all.
It’s Winsor McCay, ya poser.;-)
Oy. Long week…
This was one of the few movies that I felt was worth going to the trouble of obtaining an, er, far from legal digital copy of online (and thus was treated to my first experience of suddenly seeing the giant dark silhouette of someone heading for the restroom fill the screen) about six months ago, and have treasured it since then, crappy quality and all. The storm sequence with the giant fish is a meisterwork all by itself, the kind of thing that has me suddenly noticing that I’m grinning as wide as its possible to grin. So, yeah, I can relate to “this belief about the artist in this case rather inhibits my ability to say much that’s really meaningful about his work.” My only very slight differing with the above is that even though it’s more a “kids” movie I think it’s intense and rich as his best work. Totoro’s my very favorite, in part for it’s extremely nuanced simplicity.
Excellent film; while I felt it’s not as deep as some of his other work it’s just as astounding to look at- actually, it’s flat out career best when Ponyo’s dancing on those waves. I mean, JESUS, that’s some crazy ass shit going on there. It’s almost consciously trying to top itself with every set piece, something that’s usually impossible to pull off, but it succeeds.
It’s gangbusters filmmaking, and a movie well worth seeing more than once.
Was down home for vacation last week with extended family. Drove over an hour as a convoy in 7‑inch, pouring rain with three misery-chewing adults (wife, sister, etc) and 6 bored, Sponge-Bob-fed kids, ages 3 to 8, just to see this film in a tiny, by-the-highway, cinder block, 4 screen (non-multi) in New Bern, NC.
All but two kids thought it was the best movie they’d ever seen and after the adults were quiet in their introspection, except when they wanted to talk about the film.
This is what the ‘magic’ of cinema is capable of.
(plus, I knew I was gonna get chewed-up if this movie ‘choice’ sucked. This is one of the few times that a little cinematic knowledge goes a long way!) I agree, Miyazaki can do ZERO WRONG!