Film Review: When Marnie Was There (2014)
When Marnie Was There (2014). Co-written and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi. The film starts at a school. A young girl, Anna, sits on a bench separate from other students. She is sketching children at the playground. The teacher asks to see her drawing but is distracted by a child that has hurt himself. Anna thinks that she feels outside from others and hates herself, then suffers an asthma attack and collapses. I'm a poor Studio Ghibli fan, because for some reason I thought The Wind Rises was the last film they were making, on the assumption they definitely stop. It turns out there are two more, of which this is genuinely the last. Anyway, I really enjoyed When Marnie Was There. It's not enormously heavy on story, so I was wavering at the start, but then got caught up in the atmosphere. The story is ultimately a fantasy, but not of the types such as Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro; it's a much more human tale. The story builds perfectly, ending on a very emotional crescendo. The animation is wonderful, as per usual. Recommended for those who like gentle but emotional tales. 5/5 (Excellent)