Arrietty, in all her optimism, inspires Shawn to push forward and seek life, while Shawn helps her understand and see the world in a new light. These two couldn’t be in any more different worlds-one a human boy on his way to dying young and the other a tiny little girl full of joy and aspirations-but their relationship triggers a change in both of them for the better. This is especially true of the bond formed between Arrietty and Shawn. Though it builds with angst toward an eventual climax as Arrietty’s family decides what to do, The Secret World of Arrietty is a film as interested in the particular elements of the story as in the actual outcome of it. Nonetheless, Arrietty forms a friendship with Shawn, who gains her trust after revealing to her that he is terminally ill. When Shawn, a young “bean” (human), moves into the house to spend time with his grandma and spots the little “borrowers,” Arrietty and her family face a dilemma: despite Shawn’s gentle demeanor, his awareness of them threatens their very existence. Slow, calm and quiet with beautifully detailed imagery, the Japanese fantasy may not be the greatest achievement of Studio Ghibli, which has given us the likes of My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, but it’s a real charmer with a big imagination-the sort of film children need to grow up on.Īdapted by screenwriter Hayao Miyazaki (the studio’s top director) from Mary Norton’s 1952 children’s novel The Borrowers, the story centers on Arrietty, a teenage tiny person who lives with her family below the floorboards of a home in modern-day Tokyo. Even the musical score is melodic and soft, although it picks up during the brief moments of peril that most often involve the family cat.In an industry where animation has begun to all look and feel the same-thanks partly to the standard set by Pixar- The Secret World of Arrietty arrives as a breath of fresh air. Several scenes depict Shawn simply reclining in the colorful riot of wildflowers that have overtaken the English manor’s garden. Yonebayashi’s attention to detail and the gentle unfolding of the story differ appreciably from the fast-paced, almost frenetic films more commonly aimed at children. She would just as soon call in the exterminators as let the Borrowers take things from her kitchen. While Shawn intends no harm to the little people, Hara the housemaid (voice by Carol Burnett) doesn’t share his benign fascination with them. But despite severe warnings from her parents, Arrietty can’t help but reveal herself to Shawn (voice by David Henrie), an ailing young boy who has come to live with his Aunt Jessica (voice by Gracie Poletti). Maintaining their secret world is imperative for their safety and survival. The director then invites audiences under the floorboards and into the family’s miniature household equipped with items they’ve “borrowed” from the Big People. In the opening scenes, he introduces the spirited tiny teen girl Arrietty (voice by Bridgit Mendler) and her parents Pod and Homily (voices by Will Arnett and Amy Poehler). Best known for his animation work in films such as Ponyo, Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away, he stays fairly true to Mary Norton’s 1952 children’s novel The Borrowers upon which the movie is based. Japanese animator Hiromasa Yonebayashi takes the directorial seat of The Secret World of Arrietty.
0 kommentar(er)
