A group of Yokohama teens look to save their school's clubhouse from the wrecking ball in preparations for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Adherents to the Ghibli style will note that From Up on Poppy Hill shows Goro Miyazaki’s displaying much of his father Hayao’s gift for accomplished story-telling than his overblown 2006 effort Tales From Earthsea, and the sincerity and sentiment of this film are there to be basked in. Yet audiences outside Japan may find the subject too serious and yet too slight; there’s a reason why films about potential incest aren’t often as cute as this.
It nevertheless arrives with the vast reserves of patience, optimism and artistry we've come to expect from this studio.
Not on a par with Ghibli's greatest work like Totoro or Spirited Away but not without charms of its own. A solid second effort from Miyazaki Junior.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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