The Secret World of Arrietty

借りぐらしのアリエッティ Kari-gurashi no Arietti (The Borrower Arrietty) as it's known in Japan was the highest grossing Japanese film in that country in 2010. It also won the Japan Academy prize for the Animation of the Year. Studio Ghibli's Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki had been contemplating adapting Mary Norton's novel The Borrowers for over 40 years. The direction of this version was given to Hiromasa Yonebayashi one of the animators of Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away and Ponyo. Walt Disney Studio is releasing the film under the title The Secret World of Arrietty.

Arrietty (voiced by Bridgit Mendler) is a young woman who lives under the floorboards of a house in Koganel. She and her parents Homily (Amy Poehler) and Pod (Will Arnett) are the tiny people who just “rumors” to the “beings” as regular sized humans are called. To gather what they need to survive, they borrow items like cubes of sugar, biscuits and other things that won't be missed by the beings living in the house above. Shawn (David Henrie) has been sent to his great aunt Sophy (Carol Burnett) outside of Tokyo in the country side to get away from the stress of his parents divorcing as Shawn needs to rest to prepare for a heart operation. Shawn had heard stories of the tiny people that live in the area. In fact a play house was made specifically for them with all running parts, except the Borrowers have learned not to accept things from beings. Exposing themselves have led to fewer Borrowers as they are becoming extinct. Pod realizes they are going to have to find a new place. In his explorations he injures himself and is helped by half wild Spiller who says there are few more of their kind. Arrietty is excited by the prospect of seeing more Borrowers but is also enjoying her friendship with Shawn.

Studio Ghibli is renown for their hand drawn animated adventures that contain both fantasy and reality. The brightly colored cells are amazing eye candy and the stories enchanting for both adults and children. Watching Arrietty go on her first official “borrowing” mission with her father is like a commando raid with Mission Impossible tactics like utilizing duct tape to climb up steep surfaces. Capturing a cube of sugar will last them for months. Although her first borrower excursion ends in being exposed to a being Arrietty lucks out and finds a sewing pin that she can use as a sword. The story does have a few perilous moments with a cat and crow trying to eat Arrietty, and Aunt Sophy capturing Homily in a canning jar hoping to prove their existence. These little moments provide some tension and humor to this charming little story. The beauty of the animation compared to Pixar cells seem cold and too technically pristine with stories that are all hyped up overly anxious to astound. Ghibli Studios create poetry and wonder. You chose.
(Review by reesa)