14-year-old Arrietty and the rest of the Clock family live in peaceful anonymity as they make their own home from items "borrowed" from the house's human inhabitants. However, life changes for the Clocks when a human boy discovers Arrietty.
Unlike the best of Ghibi’s work, Arrietty may not have the ageless, universal scope of the studio’s earliest works, but the result is a beautifully realised small-scale drama that can make the theft of a humble sugar-cube into a visually spectacular adventure.
A beautifully crafted, intimate adventure movie and — presented in hand-drawn 2D — one of the most visually arresting you’ll enjoy all year.
Released in Japanese and dubbed formats, Arrietty’s craft and charm will invite universal acclaim.
Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi strikes just the right balance between painterly visuals and a warm, funny, story that will delight all ages and provide a few delicious scares besides –especially when that darn cat is about.
An assured if sanitised debut effort from an emerging voice.
Animation simply doesn’t get any better than Ghibli’s ravishing creation: when you have this much talent, who needs 3D?
It's a gentle and entrancing tale, deeper and richer than more instantly gratifying fare. Think of it as the slow food of the animation world.
This is screen enchantment.
It does a good job of presenting our world as a place of wonder and danger for the Borrowers and the exquisite hand-drawn design and unconventional characters make it a fine choice for more discerning youngsters.
The subsequent adventure may be slight and quaint but Arrietty is a magical piece of old-fashioned storytelling with a lovely musical score by Cécile Corbel.
Ghibli's colour palette and fluidity of line are in full working order, while the voice cast (it also comes in a subtitled version), including Saoirse Ronan, Olivia Colman and Mark Strong, should enhance its appeal to UK audiences.
It's a delightful little story and Studio Ghibli's understated execution of it makes it a charming summer holiday watch.
Ghibli's entrancing Arrietty is the clear choice for a family outing this summer.
It might be a bit slow and delicate for a generation raised on Pixar-style information overload, but there's always something to catch the eye in the gorgeous painted backgrounds, and the games it plays with scale are a particular delight.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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