The Secret World Of Arrietty Review :                                                                                         

A Little Movie, that will move you in a Big way.

I love all things Miyazaki and I went into this film with my expectations set high.

This film was the “highest grossing Japanese film at the Japanese box office in 2010″. OnlineGhibil placed The Secret World of Arrietty as the best opening for a Studio Ghibil film ever, ranking 8th at the US box office (Box Office Mojo).

No matter what the box office said, could it compare to classics like ‘Princess Mononoke’ or ‘Sprited Away’- especially with Miyazaki not in the directors chair?

The voice casting was superb. Amy Poehler’s Homily was cute and neurotic and Carol Burnett’s Hara the housekeeper was hilarious with her attempts to prove to other humans that “ little people really do live in the floors.” However due to the few characters involved in the story the roster wasn’t as impressive as past projects such as ‘Ponyo’ or ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’. English adaptations of Miyazaki films typically feature an all-star lineup with past films boasting talent such as Lauren Bacall, Chrstian Bale, Gillian Anderson, Claire Danes, Billy Crudup, Minnie Driver, Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson, Lily Tomlin and Betty White (to name a few). I was expecting a few more big names to be associated with Arrietty.

Miyazaki deliberately uses a slow paced opening for the film; an element that personally I wasn’t a fan of nor expecting when compared to other Miyazaki films - where the action picks up rather early in the story. I can’t completely hate on it though. Yonebayaki’s gradual increase of action wasn’t lethargic or listless –  it truly allowed the viewer to leisurely absorb the gorgeous art direction that so rarely exists in North American animated features these days. Illusion and depth are present without the excessive use of CGI and at moments aspects looked so real that I swore photo manipulation must have been used to create grass so true to nature.

The story telling is one of classic Miyazaki styling: It’s heartwarming, captivating and deals with antagonists in conflict/peaceful resolution fashion. I love these films for that refreshing take on good vs evil, turning the “evil” into an understandable antagonist that merely needs to be overcome, not destroyed. The story highlights the experience of true friendship, loneliness, grandiose adventure and the fragility of childhood innocence.  The friendship between Arrietty and Shaun grows through shared themes of dealing with uncontrollable circumstances, her with her minuscule size, and him with his heart condition.