James Andrews

I’ve been a fan of Ghibli films for a long time. I have most of the ones released on DVD in my collection, and have enjoyed watching them over and over. The artwork is always incredible, the stories are always interesting, and this usually keeps me coming back for more.

“Karigurashi no Arrietti” is the story of a family of tiny people who live under a house somewhere in Japan, and a young boy who is staying in the house to recuperate from an illness he has just recovered from. The family survives by foraging around the house. Using secret passageways in the house, and taking what they can. A cube of sugar here, a tissue or two there. Arrietti the daughter of the family goes out with her father, their primary forager for the first time. He shows her around the house, and where to get stuff.

Their “borrowing” though hasn’t gone un-noticed. The boy see’s Arrietti in the garden when he first arrives at the house. The old woman who serves as the Maid at the house has thought to have seen them as well.

Visually the movie is stunning. The watercolor like backgrounds are beautiful to look at. The attention to the little details like the droplet of water that rolls down the leaf when Arrietti pushes the leaf aside is what sets Ghibli apart.
The sounds are made custom for the movie as I saw on a Japanese television show, which showed them being made, are awesome, and that is where it leaves off.

The thing that I have liked about Ghibli movies in the past is the sense of adventure. I felt in Ponyo that sense of adventure was missing, and the movie just kind of went nowhere. I get the same feeling with “Karigurashi no Arrietti”. There’s a lot of character build up, but the story just kind of dullens out. Where’s the epic chase? It’s non-existant.

If you watch Ghibli movies for the art, it’s great for the theater, but I think you’re better off renting the DVD if you want to see this movie.