mother!

Ever had that feeling where someone has out stayed their welcome? Or ever felt like you were on the receiving end of this? Fortunately, I've not felt this (too) often but the new film from bona-fide cinematic madman Darren Aronofsky dives head first into this uncomfortable feeling with his latest work, mother!, a bizarre yet oddly compelling thriller-horror-pseudo-Biblical odyssey. And clearly its been leaving its mark on critics and audience, who maybe feel that film itself has outstayed its welcome. In tandem with some critical acclaim, the film has achieved an incredibly rare score of an F on CinemaScope (aggregated from audiences). There was also the declaration from Rex Reed of The Observer that it was "the worst film of the century". At this point, I knew I had to see this film. I've been a fan of most of Aronofsky's previous works (I even really enjoyed Noah) so I was game for whatever this infamous director could throw at me.

mother! follows the titular character (Jennifer Lawrence) (no one in the film is given a direct name) who is helping her husband (Javier Bardem) restore his burned down house. Bardem is suffering from serious writer's block, with Lawrence trying to be as supportive as possible as they live their quiet life in the middle of the country. This calm is completely broken by two uninvited guests (Ed Harris and Michelle Pfieffer) who quickly get too comfy in their home. They simply won't leave and, despite Lawrence's protests, Bardem won't kick them out. Things get even odder when the guests' extended family settle in and bring a whole cavalcade of other people. Bardem, inspired by all the human drama unfurling in front of him, writes a work so powerful that a cult-like following begin to flock around him, as more and more people pour in, further infuriating Lawrence. Throw in some chilling moments, Biblical under (and over) tones and lots of shouting, mother! becomes an incredibly uncomfortable descent into madness.

mother! is a challenging watch but rewards engagement with its rich mise-en-scene, great acting and insane plot

So I'll get this out of the way - this is not the worst film of the century. Trust me in a world where Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 exists, it hardly seems fair to lump mother! in with this crowd. In fact, I would put it as one of the better film I have seen this year. The film excellently builds up this awkward atmosphere, with Lawrence essentially stuck in a Kafka-esque nightmare. And she is great in this. Up until mother!, I had yet to see a performance from Lawrence that fully engaged me. I'm not a fan of the rambly films of David O. Russell (I hated American Hustle in particular), which I don't think served her well, nor did I enjoy her increasingly disinterested performances in the X-Men films. But seeing her fully unleashed in mother! is a real treat. Her youth and soft-beauty are clearly exploited here as a contrast to the world collapsing around her. The camera gleams on her in extreme close-ups as her unease with the situation becomes clearer and clearer, especially with her exasperated looks as more and more people arrive to mess up her home. It really is an exceptional performance.

Aronofksy is said to have written the film out in a five-day fever dream and it certainly plays out that way. Quite what Aronofksy is getting at with mother! is honestly up to the viewer. The film is no rush to explain itself and part of the fun is just going along for the ride. Is it a commentary on fear of pregnancy? Or perhaps even home invasion? Could it be an exploration of a destructive writer-muse relationship? Or, maybe its something even larger, hinting at a rich religious sub-text and impending ecological disaster? Into this steps Javier Bardem, who almost seems immune to all the craziness surrounding him. He is perfectly suited to playing the central role of the husband (titled Him in the credits) - seemingly welcoming all of these strangers into his home, the actor is an expert at creepily not conveying his motivations or feelings.

The film has plenty of strange performances, lines, decisions and moments to keep audience pondering for well after the credits have rolled

As the madness begins to ramp up, it really is clear what a brilliantly made film this is. Aronofksy builds up the tension with increasingly faster cuts, barely letting the scenes we see register. This is also coupled with an out-of-control sound-design, which is a wonder to listen to in the theatre. It's almost like a demonic fair-ground ride - it starts out slow but quickly builds up speed, so you're barely unable to take in your surroundings. Taking all these elements together, mother! is a technical marvel. As more and more people cram into Lawrence's home, the film just ups the ante. And just when you think it can't take things any further, it produces a third act so intense and bizarre that I have a feeling that it will go down in cinematic legend. If you come out of mother! feeling uneasy and slightly nauseous, then it's 100% done its job. Honestly, I couldn't believe I was watching this in a multiplex.

So...yeah, I actually would highly recommend mother! It's certainly an intense experience and one that'll keep you pondering after the screening. If you went in expecting a spooky horror film starring J-Law, you might be disappointed and if you don't have the patience to see it out, I can see why the film wouldn't be for everyone - heck, even anyone! However, if you are willing to give into its crazy world, hopefully with as little knowledge as possible, then mother! is a great time and a work from a filmmaker clearly at the top of his game. mother! will no doubt either infuriate or delight audiences across the land with its oblique and challenging narrative. There's only one "horror" film to see at the cinema at the moment and it doesn't involve a killer clown...

Studio Ghibli: A Retrospective, Part Five - My Neighbour Totoro

I love this film. No, no wait. Not even that will do. I adore this film. My Neighbour Totoro is quite simply one of the best children's films of all time. Everything, from the tone to the animation to the story (what there is of it that is) is simply perfect. Totoro shows off what a mature filmmaker Miyazaki was slowly becoming - its light plot gives way to a beautiful tone and perfectly balanced moments all the way through out. 

Following from the traumatic Grave of the Fireflies, Totoro is the complete flip-side - a delicate and magical portrayal of childhood and that innocent time when the world seems like it is impossibly large and that anything is possible. Satsuki and Mei are young sisters and are moving to the country with their father to be nearer to their mother, who is bound to the hospital with a mysterious illness. The pair soon discover that their new home is inhabited and surrounded by magical creatures such as the soot sprites and the guardian of the forest, Totoro. The two soon get to used to their surroundings and go through all the highs and lows childhood can offer. 

This is the first Miyazaki film where the setting is quite clearly Japan. As I have mentioned in the Nausicaa article, the anime industry shied away from representing their own native country on screen, to the point where many animators were surprised when Miyazaki wanted to use local frames of reference for his films. So with both Grave and Totoro, Ghibli bravely showed two contrasting representations of Japan - one in its scrouched and destroyed state and another in the post-war period in all its natural beauty. Weirdly enough, them being released as a double-bill almost makes sense, in a disturbed kind of way. One is about the pure magic of childhood and the other is when all these chances for happiness and magic are robbed away. 

I have heard some mixed reaction to Totoro in recent years, mostly in regards to how .. plotless it is. And yeah, I can see that. If you want a meaty plot, Totoro is probably not the Ghibli film for you, though I think most can agree on the various other merits of the film. I normally do prefer a good plot but honestly the development of the simplistic story ... just works for me. It really works for me. I don't mind a lightly plotted film as long as there is a central core to latch onto, which Totoro definitely has. At the start of production, Miyazaki intended for there to be only one main character. In fact, much of the early Japanese promotional material still retains just the one little girl. The brilliant move was the decision to split them into an older and younger sister. What the film loses in the plot department it more than makes up for in the central relationship between Satsuki and Mei. I love the early scenes as Satsuki and Mei begin to explore their new home and meeting the slightly odd "Grandma" of the neighbourhood. Satsuki is trying out everything - exploring everywhere, questioning everything and loving every moment. This is clearly an intelligent girl, with a wide-eyed love of the world who perhaps has never ventured into the countryside before. Then there's Mei, following Satsuki around and imitating all her actions with a clear love and affection for her older sister, just as real life younger siblings do. So the scene, at its most basic level, is just "Satsuki and Mei exploring her new home" but Miyazaki uses the opportunity to tell us something about their personalities and relationship with each other. 

Totoro is filled with wonderful little moments. I love the scene where they try to scare away the soot sprites. 

Let's talk about Satsuki and Mei's dad briefly. He is clearly kind and loving but also a little hapless. He's obviously having to bear a lot on his shoulders, having changed house, raising two young daughters and supporting his wife in the hospital. It unfortunately falls to Satsuki to take a little more responsibility than a child her age would expect to take. The film never really judges the dad for it, more that this is the way things are at the moment. There's a small scene I love involving the dad. With Satsuki off to school and Mei playing in the garden, Dad sets to work. At first he seems ok but then his glooms over, clearly frustrated at the task he is completing. However, off to the side, Mei is placing flowers on his desk. She exclaims "you be the flower shop, Daddy" and she runs off to play some more. He picks up one of the flowers, smells it and is comforted that all the hard work he is going through is for his kids. It's a lovely moment that adds layers to his character. 

The early moments of the film in which they get used to their new surroundings and make their first bicycle bound visit to the hospital really show off all the technical aspects of the film. Miyazaki brought on a new art director on Totoro, in one Kazuo Oga. Miyazaki challenged Oga to represent the natural world as a believable one but also one where magic can co-exist. This became a defining aspect of Ghibli's art design, by contrasting realistic and rich background against highly animated fantastical characters, a style that would remain in place up until 2008's Ponyo. Totoro was Ghibli's best looking film yet which, coupled with the wonderful Joe Hisashi score, creates a real sense of warm and comfort to the whole piece.

The opening scenes really do establish a warm and familiar feeling as we get to know the family

The opening scenes eventually culminate in Mei meeting two mini Totoro creatures who, through a quick chase, leads her to fall down a hole in the middle of the forest and discover the big guy himself. Totoro is possibly Miyazaki's most iconic creation, with his visage gracing the opening of every Ghibli film. The character is arguably more popular and recognisable in Japan than Mickey Mouse. And it's easy to see why this character became so popular. With his big grin, fluffy design and ever so slightly imposing nature, the film utilises Totoro just enough as not to make him tiresome. He never loses his impact and this is still the case on re-watches. This is probably why he has lived on so long in peoples' hearts and minds; there's something mysterious, and completely loveable, about him. Mei forms an instant bond and smalls asleep on top of him. She awakens in the middle of the forest, with Satsuki and Dad searching for her (which is a great set-up for the ending of the film, which I'll get to).

Mei discovers the brilliant guardian of the forest, Totoro. 

The order in which Totoro appears to the girls is also really important, with eldest Satsuki being last. Which makes sense - Satsuki is older and maybe isn't as willing to believe in the magic of the world as much as wide-eyed Mei does. A flash rainstorm breaks out across the area, as Satsuki has the idea of bringing their father's umbrella to him at the bus stop after he gets back from his commute from work (he's forgotten it...). As the pair stand at the stop, Mei falls asleep leaving just Satsuki in the rain. Then, suddenly out of nowhere, appears Totoro. This is yet another brilliant scene and one of the most famous in the whole film. That image of Totoro, with his umbrella, staring off into the distance and Satsuki looking the same, is quite possibly one of the most famous of the whole Ghibli oeuvre. Satsuki breaks the ice eventually by striking up a conversation and soon discovers that Totoro loves the sound of rain drops falling onto his umbrella. The whole scene has this strange atmosphere where you're not quite sure where it's going to go, which is especially helped by the score. Eventually, Totoro loves the sound so much he leaps into the air, as the impact causes a deluge of rain drops to land on them. Deciding he's had enough, Totoro hitches a ride in the wonderfully bizarre Cat Bus, another brilliant piece of design work. It's a cat .... but it's also a bus ... that's also a wonderful piece of surreal fantasy design that has arguably become as famous as the big furry guy himself. As Totoro rides off into the distance, the sisters (including the newly awoken Mei) look as baffled as the audience!

Quite possibly the film's most famous scene

The first appearance of the wonderfully bizarre Cat Bus

Both these scenes culminate with the sequence where Totoro and his critters help to make Satsuki and Mei's garden grow, using the seeds they obtained as a gift on their last adventure at the bus stop. With the odd and weirdly comforting soundtrack, and the moonlight illuminating the creatures as they work, Satsuki and Mei take part in the ceremony and eventually, through the power of magic, the seedlings begin to sprout before producing a massive tree in front of them that dominates over their house. Presumably pleased by their work, Totoro takes Satsuki and Mei on a magical air-borne tour across the countryside. This scene is beyond iconic - it's one of the most joyful scenes ever committed to film, with Hisaishi's brilliant score kicking in as they begin to take flight. I love Satsuki's slight hesitation at first but it doesn't take her long to get involved in the magical flight. It's another example of how Miyazaki uses actions to communicate the personalities of the girls without having to spell it out. As mentioned before, Satsuki is slightly more mature and is growing up fast - her hesitation makes sense. Mei, meanwhile, in thr full throes of childhood, is just straight up for it. It's a quick moment but it's a subtle story-telling trick that doesn't betray the simple nature of the story. I also love how the scene highlights whether or not any of this real. When the pair wake up the next morning, a giant tree is not there to welcome them, of course, but a few of their seedlings have sprouted. Whether Totoro is real or not doesn't matter too much - it's the fact that he's real to the kids is what's important. 

One of the most iconic scenes in animation?

The conclusion of the film is pitch perfect. In keeping with the film's small and intimate story line, the sisters are very upset, as their mother seems to have taken a turn for the worse. Even the up-until-now strong Satsuki breaks down to Grandma and has a big argument with Mei. Both are really upset with each other and sore from their arguments. So, Mei takes it on herself, seeing her older sister upset, to bring a gift to her mother (a knob of corn they picked with Grandma). However, being only 5, she gets lost on the way. This is actually a common thing for Mei - she's used to playing on her own and going into the forest, often without supervision. Her getting lost actually happens a couple of times in the film, just not with the same dramatic weight. Satsuki and the rest of the village now have to desperately find Mei. And that's the big finale. No Big Bad to defeat or McGuffin to find. Just a sibling trying to find their other sibling. And it's just brilliantly executed. I love the shot of Satsuki running through the rice-paddies as the sun sets and Hisaishi's mournful score begins to swell. When all hope seems lost, Satsuki turns to the only person who can help her - and by person, I mean Totoro of course. He summons the Cat Bus from earlier in the film, as Satsuki goes on a magical ride across the countryside. Cleverly, the Cat Bus is not visible to the adults, as all they see is the wind flying by. Of course, the two are reunited in a lovely scene that begins to see the film out. 

This scene just gets me every time

From one iconic scene to another, Totoro summons the Cat Bus to help Satsuki locate Mei

My Neighbour Totoro might not be to everyone's taste, which I can understand, but for this writer the film is simply perfect. Everything from the art design to the music to the beautifully-told small-scale story, Totoro has rightly earned its place as an all-time classic. The ending of the film just leaves me with an overwhelmingly warm glow and makes me feel good, in particular as we see images of the family reuniting with the mother coming home and life continuing, all while the recognisable Japanese vocals sing in pure elation "To-toro, to-to-ro". The now iconic title song is etched into the brains of all anime fans or anyone who has has seen this film. It's a wonderful film that celebrates the little joys in life. Childhood is such a fleeting moment and it isn't long before the realities of the "real world" begin to seep in. Totoro captures this tiny, wonderful moment with grace and expertise. 

So here are my quick thoughts on the dub. I haven't seen the original one, produced in the early 90s, so I'm focusing on the Disney produced one. For the most part, it's a good dub that retains the childlike spirit of the Japanese version. The masterstroke here was casting real life sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning as Satsuki and Mei respectively. They have a natural chemistry which helps to sell audience on their connection. They're both good performances and, while I feel the Japanese actors have a bit more range, the directors of the dub and the Fanning siblings clearly understood what worked so well about the original material. 

Miyazaki would continue in the vein of "lightly plotted" with his next film albeit replacing the sister relationship with a central coming-of-age character study that plays almost like the next step in his mini "growing up" series. This is, of course, Kiki's Delivery Service.

It

I must admit to feeling a little bit like an outsider amongst the wave of nostalgia and anticipation that has welcomed the latest adaptation of Stephen King's best-seller It. I have never read the book or seen the much-beloved Tim Curry-led mini-series. In fact, I have pretty much missed ... the whole Stephen King thing... Outside of a few adaptations of his works (including the masterpiece that the author hates, The Shining), he's someone I've always been aware but never engaged with (I hope to change that though). I think it's important to preface the review with that, as I watched It strictly as a film and not as the return of a nostalgic property or as a fan of King.

If you're not aware, It follows a group of young children-border-line-teenagers living in the quiet town of Derry, Maine (as we all know, King loves this state) who are being menaced by the terrifying (?) Pennywise the Clown, who appears every 27 years to feast on the children of the town. When several friends realise they are having similar terrifying visions of the clown, they decide to team up and thwart the demon once and for all. The kids must overcome their own fears in their personal lives and work towards the greater good of saving Derry...

The genius move here was transplanting the 50s setting of the novel into the 1980s, which, by effect, draws upon Stranger Things' popular aesthetic. It's ironic that Stranger Things turned to King's novels for inspiration and now the new King adaptations are looking to that incredibly popular Netflix show. This is something I am genuinely nostalgic about, as I grew up on my grandma's dusty old tapes of the great family films of the 80s - E.T., Flight of the Navigator, Back To The Future and the other great Spielberg productions. From a marketing perspective, the amount of nostalgia It can draw upon to pull in an audience is fairly ingenious and, judging by the film's incredible opening weekend at the box office, it's clearly resonating with audiences.

Nostalgic for It the novel? It the TV series? Or Stephen King in general? Or the 1980s? Or even how the 1980s is represented on film? Or just enjoy a good horror film? It has a lot to offer most audiences. 

And for the most part, It works really, really well. The decision to isolate the 'children' portion of the novel (saving the adult section for part two) is fairly inspired, meaning that the story now has a clear focus, which I imagine (and I've heard) gets a bit lost in the novel. The whole of the ensemble child cast are excellent, with really committed and believable performances from them all.  The films takes the right amount of time to set up their motivations and where their lives are at. The film is clearly committed to getting the audience to engage with them. There is a genuine love and bond with the members of self-titled Losers' Club by the end of the film. Some motivations are stronger than others - Jaeden Lieberher as Bill, the leader of the club, goes on a great personal journey after losing his brother at the start of the film to Pennywise (in the brilliantly staged opening sequence), which is given enough time to breath, while Chosen Jacob's Mike's story gets a little lost in the proceedings. My favourite of the Losers' Club though is probably Ben, an overweight and often bullied little boy who finds new motivation (and feelings) after joining the gang. A real star-making turn here is Sophia Lillis as Bev. While the writing on her is bit broad (clearly King's idea of what a 'cool' girl character looks like in his head), the performance is excellent and manages to overcome some of the slightly cliched aspects of her personality (and some slightly questionable decisions made in the final act - and it doesn't involve that infamous scene from the book, which isn't the film).

While It is a very good film, my major issue with it is that the main villain, Pennywise, just isn't scary to me. Admittedly, I'm pretty desensitised to horror films at this point and I'm sure that Bill Skasgård's high-energy performance will terrify some, it's just more funny to me than scary. Which is a shame because as a performance, Bill Skasgård is great and the film has just the right amount of appearances from him. The costume and make-up are brilliant, with some very subtle CGI extensions to create an ever so-slightly off look to the already disturbing clown. I think the framing and certain aspects of the technical side could have made him scarier, such as keeping him in the shadows or remixing the audio on his dialogue, but the scenes still land dead on. The scenes where Pennywise appears to the children as manifestations of their worst nightmares are uniformly excellent. The absolute best involves a bathroom, hair and lots of blood, mostly because it keeps the horror to a mysterious, primordial mode. The films offers plenty of audience pleasing scares and laughs and keeps up a good pace.

A great performance ... just not scary to me

As a fan of horror and coming-of-age stories, I welcome It with open arms and am delighted that its really connected with audiences. While I feel some things are a bit broad for my taste and it maybe has a few too many plot threads overall, as someone who doesn't have a connection to the world of King, I enjoyed It a lot. The child actors are uniformly excellent and the film just keeps the thrills coming. Fans of the novel will no doubt be in seventh heaven. Part Two can't come soon enough ... 

Studio Ghibli: A Retrospective, Part Four - Grave of the Fireflies

Well, here it is. Often labelled as "the greatest film you never want to see again", Grave of the Fireflies has earned quite the reputation as a bleak and fairly uncompromising film. As Isao Takahata's first film for the studio, he certainly made quite a statement. Labelled by Roger Ebert as one of the greatest war films of all time (I disagree with the "war" label but I'll get to that), Grave of the Fireflies is a film everyone must see once. And probably only once (though I've made it through three showings so far)!

Following Laputa's great success, Ghibli embarked on a hugely ambitious project of producing two films at the same time. One would be Takahata's debut for the studio and the other would be Miyazaki's next project, which would morph into the all-time children's classic My Neighbour Totoro. Takahata, in adapting the very popular book, made a commitment to represent the devastating effects of war on the most vulnerable of its citizens. As costs ramped up on both projects, Ghibli made the incredibly odd decision of releasing both films as a double-bill. That's right, Totoro, one of the most innocent children's films of all time, was paired up with the bleak and potentially traumatising Grave of the Fireflies. I can't say precisely why this was done and it ultimately resulted in weak box-office takings. Apparently, it all depended on the order the films were shown in as to audience retention. As you can imagine, if Grave was shown first, audiences were too shook up to stick around for sweet Totoro. The project did end up recouping its loss at the box-office, due to the huge surge in Totoro merchandise, and both films are rightly regarded as all-time classics.

Also spoilers from now on - short version. Watch this film. Please.

In one of the few moments of clarity, Seita releases fireflies into their 'home' to produce another beautiful scene

Grave is set in the final weeks of World War Two. The battles with the U.S. have clearly taken its toll on the Japanese countryside. Seita and Setsuko, brother and sister, don't let the war dampen their spirits, living with their mother and awaiting the return of their heroic dad from the war. However, their village is fire-bombed by the U.S., leading to wide-spread devastation and the death of their mother. The two must journey to live with a distant aunt and try to make the best of their new situation. However, due to war-time rationing and emotional ruin, the aunt withdraws from the children and ultimately Seita makes the decision to leave and survive on their own. Making a shelter in a small cave next to a lake, the two try their best to live their lives but soon food, lack of money, hunger and disease take over, as their outlook slowly becomes grimmer and grimmer...

The opening itself is a work of melancholic beauty. Beginning in media res, we open with Seita dying homeless on the streets of a Japanese city. A police officer checks the body and confirms this and that this is now fairly common. The camera then pans away to reveal a spirit world, coloured in gorgeous reds, as Seita, now back in full health joins a little girl, who we later learn is his sister Setsuko. The two have been reunited in the after-life. Honestly, when this scene began and the music kicked, on my re-watch for this article, I just started welling up. It's one of the saddest and oddly beautiful openings to a film I can think of, as you come to the realisation that you are going to have to watch how these characters ... got to this point. We then go back in time to when Seita and Setsuko were happy, living with their mum. Life is tough but at least they have each other. However, following the attack on their town, they suddenly find themselves with no home and no mother. The image of Seita going to see his mum in the hospital, suffering from intense wounds and burns up and down her body is quite possibly the most upsetting thing I have seen in any film. I can barely even look at the image. I'm pretty desensitised to film violence and injury at this point but this image of Seita's mum is simply too much. You feel as traumatised as Seita.

Grave of the Fireflies' opening is simply a melancholic masterpiece, perfectly setting the tone

Grave certainly pulls no punches in pulling you into its world. Even with its difficult and upsetting opening moments, it is not a complete misery fest. Seita and Setsuko do find precise moments of clarity where they can enjoy each others company. There's are a small handful of lovely scenes, including one where they go to the beach together, gather fireflies to release into their tent and even a small moment of joy when Seita finds a way to extend the life of Setsuko's favourite sweets. I do appreciate that the film shows that they are able to find very fleeting moments of happiness in the terrible situation they find themselves in. The two have a very clear bond and plays out like a real sibling relationship - they have ups and downs with each other but ultimately unconditionally love each other. With that said, it does become incredibly difficult to watch as Seita and Setsuko succumb to hunger and disease. I also like that the film doesn't pass judgement on Seita for his decision to leave his aunt's house to make it on their own. He's a young child making decisions that no child should have to make even if it does have devastating consequences for him and his sister. 

The animation is absolutely stunning. While Miyazaki likes to paint extreme worlds and fantastical landscapes, Takahata is more interested in body language and facial expressions. This gives Grave an incredibly realistic look to the way characters move and talk. Oddly, though I feel that this story could only work in animation. There's almost this filter put up by it being animated. Perhaps it would have been too much if it was in live-action. There are too many excellent scenes to count but my favourite quite possibly is a quiet moment at the start of the film. Seita has just learned that his mum has died. He says to Setsuko that she's sick in the hospital, however she knows something is wrong. The subtext of the scene is that she knows that her mum is dead, deep down. The spacing of the scene has Setsuko in the foreground so we can see this realisation played in real time as she begins to squat and cry. Seita is sitting down, facing away from the camera, resided to this fact. It's a powerful moment and extremely subtle. 

I think Grave of the Fireflies' best quality is how uncompromising it is. It is unflinching in its representation of how governments can fundamentally fail to protect their most vulnerable citizens. This still happens today, as children like Seita and Setsuko struggle to get from day to day. Honestly...this was a really eye-opening film for me when I was younger. Growing up in the UK, you are given a very simplistic history lesson on World War Two. English = Good, Germans = Bad. The chest-thumping nature of how this is taught gives a wrong impression to students of the realities of war. War is fought by governments with little regard for the people caught up in the middle. At the end of the day, it's the people who suffer. So the idea of watching a film from the "other side" of the war was a new concept to me and made me realise all these things. Ultimately, it is much more morally complex than a nationalistic infused lesson in class. Seita is a young lad and proud to be Japanese and that his dad is fighting in the Royal Navy. He has complete faith in his nation. However, by pure chance, he learns from a stranger that Japan has lost war, have surrendered to the U.S. and that his dad has likely died along with the rest of the fleet. Ultimately, the state that Seita is so proud to be part of fundamentally fails him.

Takahata himself had somewhat of a motive behind making Grave of the Fireflies when he did. In the 1980s, Japan was suffering due to high crime and anti-social behaviour caused by teenagers. In making of Grave, Takahata hoped to nullify some of this by presenting a film that showed in detail how past generations suffered to create the society they live in today. This is clear in the final shot of the film, as the sports of Seita and Setsuko appear over a ridge to reveal a modern Japanese city. I'm not too sure how I feel about this, it could be read as exploitive, and how much affect it actually had on this target. My take away from the film is more the humanitarian side - that children like Seita and Setsuko suffer every day due to war, poverty and disease and them peering over a modern city is a reminder of this. Grave tells the story like it is and doesn't spend a lot of time (if any) dwelling on its politics. You can take away what you will.

The film, unavoidably, brings up some very morally grey politics but as part of the sub-text

The film's final act becomes very difficult to watch. Seita has completely run out of money and has resorted to stealing to make ends meet. Worse, Setsuko is suffering due to terrible effects of malnutrition. An incredibly sad scene is where Seita takes her to a doctor and he simply replies that all she needs is food. All she needs is food. Seita just explodes at this moment. Unfortunately, delirium and hunger means that Setsuko starts eating things she really shouldn't be and eventually passes away. This is quite possibly the most devastating moment in any film I have seen. The image of Seita burning his sister's body is unforgettable, especially as the swell of music kicks in. This is followed by a montage of past moments with Setsuko and you come to the realisation that this was just a little girl.

It's ... just .... too much ... 

Grave of the Fireflies is quite rightly regarded as a masterpiece. While Takahata would go onto make other interesting and great films at Ghibli, for my money, this is his best. Grave is proof that animation can reach a certain level that can only be achieved in that medium. It is a powerful, traumatising and ultimately incredibly bitter-sweet film that everyone must see at some point. It's not exactly a film to be enjoyed ... more to experience. I've things brief in this article as, if you've not seen it, it just needs to watched. 

I'll just leave a quick note here - don't see the English dub. It's not actively bad more bland. I think this story is so culturally specific, watching it in a bland English dub is almost a disservice. I watched the older one, I believe, and I understand that there is a new dub for the blu-ray but, while I have not seen that yet, I would still recommend the Japanese versions instead.

Now I feel depressed ... what's next? Ah, Totoro ...

Persona 5

I'll admit it - when it comes to JRPGs, I am overly critical. With their epic lengths and intense, character based stories, I feel it requires a lot of investment to see them through to the end. And it has to meet my stupidly high standards. To be honest, I have played very few JRPGs from the 2010s that have made it through this funnel. Without naming series and specific games, I feel that overall the genre is somewhat stagnant, relying on past glories, generic plots and either taking their gameplay too far in one direction and not enough in the other. That and I simply don't have as much time anymore to get invested in JRPGs like I used to, especially console ones. So thank god for the Persona series. When I first played Persona 4 on the Vita, it was the perfect balance of innovative and classic gameplay, an excellently judged story and well-fleshed out characters. Better yet, I could play it on go, making it easier to explore the dungeons, get invested in side-quests and pour more hours in then I ever could on a console, fitting it around my daily commute to and from work. This has led me to Persona 5, the latest entry in the series. I knew Atlus would not disappoint with the game but the biggest hurdle for me was it being exclusive to home consoles. Fortunately, it was 100% worth it. Four months worth of Sunday afternoons (110 hours game time) have led me to finally finish Persona 5. And my review, at last! 

Atlus have simply knocked it out of the park again. 

Introducing the new cast who will be taking over your life (l:r) Makoto, Ann, Yusuke, the player character, Haru, Ryuji, Morgana and Futaba

Tonally, 5 plays like a mix of 3 and 4. Taking the darker elements from 3 (dealing with some all too real teen issues) and the lighter, more comedic tone of 4, 5 is actually a perfect Persona game to get started on. Not that is compromises enjoyment for long-term fans. As with all Persona games, the basic structure is the same - the silent protagonist is uprooted from his family home and forced into an extreme situation to which he awakens to extraordinary powers and embarks on the meta-narrative of completing atask set by the mysterious Igor of the Velvet Room. From here, comparisons to the previous Persona games end, as the story deals with the hero embarking a mission to reform society. The Hero and his new group of friends discover the Metaverse, manifestations of people's subconscious. Guided by the game's mascot Morgana, he imparts that if you embark into someone's 'Palace', a manifestation of an extremely negative subconscious, and steal the user's 'Treasure' you can fundamentally change them and have them confess to their crimes. Starting out with an abusive teacher, the gang discover this does in fact work and decide to set out and reform society at large as the Phantom Thieves, seeking to take down powerful and evil adults. 

If the plot sounds a bit .. esoteric, that's because it is. It takes a bit of time to get round all the inner-workings of the story's mechanics. However, the emotional arc of the characters and story is clear. While Persona 5 doesn't quite hit the same levels of 4, the new cast of characters are fun and offer enough variety in their personalities to make for a varied party. You'll eventually pick your favourites and, if my experience seeing all the cosplayers at Manchester Comic-Con is anything to go by, the cast have really struck a chord with players. By-the-by, I favour the nerdy and awkward Futaba, the brilliant detective Akechi, and the loveable Morgana. I've heard some negative feedback to Morgana (mostly because he makes you go to bed against your will) but I like him a lot - he has a fun character arc and a neat design. I also really love your cranky new guardian, Sojiro, who owns the oddest specialised restaurant I can think of - one that serves exclusively in curry and coffee. I can see the appeal. 

Major tip: take time to get to know your confidants - it will reward you massively

While it's not my favourite game in the series, Persona 5 is above and away the best one from a gameplay perspective. Persona 4 surprised me with its central tenant of "getting to know the characters will also help to improve your stats and Personas". 5 takes this concept to the next level by offering additional perks to each level you reach with your 'confidants'. Some are so invaluable for when you are exploring the Palaces, it's almost mandatory to invest in your party and the side-characters and get to understand them and their small stories. The palaces themselves, massive labyrinths of exploration, are a huge step-up from 4. It's going to take you a lot longer to work through the dungeons in 5 and overall there is more variety. The jump up in technology to PS4 might not be utilised as well as it could do but it does allow for bigger, more complex dungeons that do genuinely challenge the player. 

Battles have also never been more thrilling. Normally, in JRPGs, the thought of yet another random encounter is enough to infuriate the player, Persona 5 has such a bright and energetic presentation that just makes each battle so enjoyable. All the enemies have wonderful, unique designs with a specific weakness of some kind that must be exploited by the player. There is also the addition of guns to the game, which adds new (though slightly under-explored) level to the battles. The biggest change is how one acquires personas. In the previous game, it was through loot and creating new creatures in the Velvet Room. Here, one must battle the creature, 'down it' and then interrogate it. If you can convince the creature to turn to the path of righteousness (or simply that you're a fun person to hang around with), they will join your cause. This change has divided some players and while it's not perfect (it essentially comes down to knowing the personality of the creature - which is listed at the start of the interrogation - and selecting the appropriate responses) I do feel it suits the tone of the game. The fun then comes from experimenting with Fusion, in which multiple creatures can be fused together to form better personas. It's endlessly deep, fun and rewarding.   

Amazingly, battles never get dull in Persona 5

Persona 5's biggest new addition is Mementos, a massive Palace formed from the cognition of the general public. You will explore various different levels and sections of Mementos over the course of the game. The player can freely explore the dungeon in your free time, grind for EXP, try to reach its depths or complete the dozens of side-quests the game offers you. A slight flaw in Persona 4 is that the combat and exploration elements are locked to the dungeons. Here, Mementos allows the player to gain EXP and experiment with their Personas and train up new members While the Phantom Thieves have bigger goals of changing society, they never forget the little people. A confidant will keep you up-to-date on requests the general public to change the hearts of evildoers. Mementos allows time for little side-stories to be fleshed out, sometimes linked to the various different confidants. It is somewhat similar to The Witcher 3's side-quests and mini-stories, though maybe not quite as rich. 

Mementos is a massive side-dungeon that'll keep you going for hours, whilst also grinding for EXP and experimenting with your new Personas. 

Do I wish Persona 5 was on the Vita and not the PS4? Sure, it would be great and I hope that a handheld version will someday be released (a perfect game for the Switch, maybe). That said, playing Persona 5 on a console, with my 5.1 surround set up, is truly an excellent experience. Which brings me nicely onto the soundtrack. The music of Persona 5 is simply brilliant. Bright J-Pop, backed by irresistible strings, makes the whole world of the game come to life and perfectly sets the tone. The song choices might get a bit repetitive after 110 hours of playing (something my partner voiced!) but there is no denying that the music is insanely good. The presentation in general is pretty great, though cut-scenes can be a little bit static. The character models really come to life in the rare higher-quality cut-scenes and the anime segments are a lovely addition as well. The voice-acting averages out as being good, even if there aren't as many standout performances as 4. 

Then there's the exaggerated version of Tokyo, beautifully rendered with all the hustle and bustle of the legendary city. It makes me pine to return one day. Persona games are always excellent at representing a certain place, in particular 4 with the charming small town of Inaba, and the choice to set 5 in Tokyo is inspired. The game was originally going to based around the concept of back-packing, meaning you would have to travel around the world. However, following several crises affecting Japanese society in recent years, Atlus decided to look inwards and set the game in one of Japan's most iconic cities. In general, Persona 5 deals with real life villains - molesters, gangsters, corrupt government officials etc. This marks something of a turn in the series, that I honestly welcome. It's unique, just as 4 was essentially Twin Peaks in the guise of a Persona game. In the age of Trump and irresponsible adults, there is something incredibly appealing about a group trying to fight back against this tide of larger authority.    

Exploring Persona 5's take on Tokyo is such a wonderful experience

What's there left to say. If you have any kind of love for JRPGs, or simply games where you get lost in their worlds, then I can't recommend Persona 5 enough. You owe it to yourself to play this game (or any of the others in the series). The game's success is a testament to the quality of its design and execution. As the final hours begin to unfurl, characters reflect on their first encounters with you with a sense of time and affection, which you also feel as the player. Saying goodbye to a cast of Persona character is always a hard thing. With its stylish art design, infinitely deep gameplay, a system that actively encourages you to get to the know the characters and an epic story, Persona 5 will keep you going for hours and hours and hours...

However, it does mean I can move on now and play some of the year's other gems!

My Top 5 Films of Summer 2017

Another summer blockbuster season draws to an end with more uncertainty than ever in Hollywood. Look everywhere and you'll here stories of reduced box-office takings as cinema tries to fight back against the tide of video on demand services such as Netflix. However, for my money, Summer 2017 for film has been a pretty good one. There's been the usual expected superhero fare, box-office bombs and throwaway trash (Transformers 5, Pirates 5 and the now infamous Emoji Movie springing to mind) however I would say there has been a higher level of quality than in previous years. So, without further ado, here are my top five films of Summer 2017.

Honourable Mention - The Red Turtle

Can I count The Red Turtle as a Summer film? It was a film and I did see it in the summer. However, this Studio Ghibli produced Danish animated film is in a different kind of calibre than the other films on this list. It's an absolute treat and a masterpiece of minimalist story-telling.

http://nincronyreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/the-red-turtle.html

Honourable Mention - Baby Driver

While Baby Driver didn't win me over as much as some, mostly due to its standard script and predictable story, the actual filmmaking technique of the film more than recommends a viewing. Edgar Wright continues to prove he is the modern master of action-comedy films, as every frame of Baby Driver is perfectly judged and constructed. Just pick a better script next time Edgar...

http://nincronyreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/baby-driver.html

And now ... the list

5. War For The Planet of the Apes

OK, I wanted this one to be the film of the summer, given how great the first two films of the better-than-they-should-be reboot trilogy of the classic sci-fi series. And while War does struggle with a shaky first half, it settles into a very grim and depressing mood as the conflict between Caeser's apes and the humans reaches its apex. It's heady stuff that manages to hit the right emotional moments whilst dealing with intelligent themes, all with the expected awe-inspiring action scenes we have come to expect. Shame this one didn't do too cracking at the box-office...

http://nincronyreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/war-for-planet-of-apes.html

4. Spider-Man: Homecoming

This one took me by complete surprise. I was ready for another bland Marvel film and yawned at the idea of yet another take on Spider-Man. However, Homecoming brought a new found sense of high-energy to the character, powered by an insanely likeable central performance by Tom Holland. The whole film and Holland's take on Peter Parker just has this nervous energy which is simply infectious. Even the villain managed to be interesting!

http://nincronyreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/spider-man-homecoming.html

3. Wonder Woman

The biggest surprise of the summer! Just when it seemed that DC was down and out for the count, along comes Wonder Woman, an exciting and nearly perfectly judged superhero film. With great performances from Gal Gadot and Chris Pine with a surprisingly thoughtful script, Wonder Woman is the perfect balance of popcorn fun. Hopefully this is a good sign for future DC films and female-led superhero flicks. Ignore the dissenters - this is a great time.

http://nincronyreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/wonder-woman.html

2. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2

I came out of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 having thoroughly enjoyed it but thinking it was not as good as the original. However, the more it has sat with me, the more I have come round to that I think Vol. 2 maybe slightly better. Jettisoning most of its links to the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, Vol. 2 is clearly more James Gunn's film. Getting deeper and more personal with the characters, Vol. 2 takes the story to interesting new places, whilst bringing along all the zany comedy, bright and colourful action scenes and a wonderful retro soundtrack. Plus, it reaches one of the somberest climaxes in any summer film I've seen. Great stuff.

http://nincronyreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/guardians-of-galaxy-vol-2.html

1. Dunkirk

Christopher Nolan brought one of the biggest and loudest films of the summer in his thrilling reaction of the evacuation of Dunkirk. Dunkirk shows Nolan at the top of his game with one of his best, most confident, films. Eschewing the usual Nolan tendencies, Dunkirk is masterful filmmaking. The whole white-kunckle experience leaves one shell-shocked. It simply must be seen to be believed, on the biggest screen possible.

http://nincronyreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/dunkirk.html

Studio Ghibli: A Retrospective, Part Three - Castle in the Sky

Castle in the Sky (also known with Laputa at the start of the title) is the first Studio Ghibli film. A lot was riding on this film, maybe even slightly more than Nausicaa. Castle in the Sky would prove that the time and investment to create Studio Ghibli could produce great, original works and be commercially viable. Fortunately, for the most part, Castle in the Sky succeeds. 

Miyazaki once again drew upon several sources in creating the foundation of Castle in the Sky. The mysterious castle features in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. Several writers have drawn parallels with both depictions of the castle, in that its technological superiority is manipulated and used for political ends. This is something that Swift and Miyazaki have in common - using fantasy settings to quietly weave in political and social commentary. Miyazaki also drew upon Biblical sources to create a sense of weight and danger to Laputa. 

Castle in the Sky, while suffering slightly from some narrative issues and odd gender politics, is a thrilling fantasy film that has plenty of great set-pieces, wonderful art design and touching moments to completely recommend

Castle in the Sky is an exciting action-adventure story, which follows two children named Pazu and Sheeta. Pazu works in a slightly tired mining town in a steampunk influenced take on Europe but one day wants to escape and find the mysterious flying castle, Laputa (reportedly seen by his now deceased father). Everything changes when Sheeta literally floats down from the sky into Pazu's arms. She was being held hostage by a government agent but managed to escape after a raid by a group of pirates Around her neck is a mysterious crystal with strange magical properties, that is now sought by the pirates (led by the fierce Dola), the army and a shady government agent named Muska. Pazu soon learns that Sheeta is in fact a descendant of a long line of royalty to the throne of Laputa. With confirmation of its existence, Pazu and Sheeta set out on a quest to find Laputa and unlock its secrets. 

I think it's important to understand that a lot was riding on Laputa, which explains a certain precedent for the film. With Castle in the Sky, Miyazaki went a bit broader in terms of appealing to a mass audience - thus, you have an exciting action adventure film which subdues a lot of Miyazaki’s more existential and ecological themes in favour of riveting action scenes and sheer fantasy spectacle. This isn't to say Laputa is a bad film, FAR from it, it's really great on its own merits, but it's not one that sticks with me narratively as well as some of the others. That said, it contains several truly excellent, some wonderful characters and an intricate mythology that is left as somewhat of a mystery. The opening of the film sets the tone perfectly. From the opening action scene onboard the aircraft to Sheeta escaping and falling into the sky to the wonderful opening credits that set the back story of Laputa through images and music, the film pulls no punches in pulling you into this world. 

Pazu and Sheeta make a good counter-balance to each other, even if they fall into traditional gender roles

Once again, the art design of the world is absolutely phenomenal. It's almost like an alternative history of Europe via the lens of steampunk art design  While the best is saved for last, which I’ll get into later, the film once again draws upon that concept discussed in the last article - Paris of Our Dreams, i.e. a fictionalised look at Europe by an outsider to its culture. In particular, there is close reference to Wales and its mining towns in the 1980s. Miyazaki is said to have visited these towns as they were swept up in the closure of mines (i.e. their main livelihood) during Thatcher's reign of terror. The whole of Pazu's hometown, from the single street containing long rows of terraced housing to the imposing railway line to the huge valley where the miners have clearly been working down for decades, is a phenomenal piece of art design - fantastical and exaggerated yet oddly functional. I love the scene where Pazu wakes up early and plays the trumpet on the roof of his little home as dawn breaks across the valley - it's a beautiful moment and the discourse between the quiet moments and the action scenes continues through the whole film. For Pazu's hometown is also the setting for the first action scene of the film, wherein Dola and her pirates attempt to steal the crystal, as Pazu and Sheeta desperately try to run away on the railway tracks. It's inventive, exciting and showcases the detail of Ghibli's animation. 

One of many of Laputa's iconic scenes

Castle in the Sky's only main weakness is that the plotting is a little bit shaky. Pazu and Sheeta are very likeable main characters. That said, I feel that more time is dedicated to characterising Pazu. The character animation on him is wonderful, picking on all his little ticks and mannerisms. Sheeta is a little more stoic and more of the traditional 'female' character in a fantasy story (more on that later). To the film's benefit, it does spend time creating a bond between them that is believable. However, from when they escape Pazu's town to landing on Laputa for the final act, I feel it's a little directionless, outside of the broad "we need to get to Laputa". The individual scenes are excellent, don't get me wrong. When the robot, that is said to have fallen from Laputa, awakens in Muska's castle and its subsequent rampage is thrilling, while Pazu and Dola racing across the countryside to rescue Sheeta highlights the incredible skill of Ghibli's animators to bring real movement to passing over scenery (it doesn't sound thrilling but usually in animation background stills are physically moved to create a sense of momentum but Ghibli fully animate this, which is an incredibly difficult thing to do especially when you consider it was all hand drawn). For me, it's more that the narrative glue doesn't quite hold it all together. I think it's because literally when they set out on their quest, Sheeta is captured straight away which I think stops the momentum. 

During the aforementioned section of the film, it contains the scenes I take most issue with. I do think it’s a bit of a shame that Sheeta is pretty wet, especially considering Miyazaki’s track record of creating varied and interesting female characters. She does end up growing as a character in the final moments of the film (and the first instance where one of Miyazaki's tropes comes into play - character having their long hair cut to signify completion of an arc) but it feels a little too late. I mostly take issue with the roles they are assigned when they make a peace pact with Dola. I understand that the kids need a job to do on the ship but did it really need to be a “Pazu does the engineering work, Sheeta does the cooking”? My girlfriend actually suggested a fun role reversal idea (maybe suggested by Dola) where Pazu and Sheeta end up doing jobs they’re not experienced in but end up learning new things about themselves. In general, I find the gender politics of Castle in the Sky a little odd and feel like they are from another age. I understand that Miyazaki wanted to tell a classic-style adventure story but there had to be smarter ways of doing it. Anyway, I don't want to come down on the film too hard because I don't think there's any malice to it. I bring this up only because we know Miyazaki is capable of better. 

Fortunately, while Sheeta is one of the lesser characters in the Miyazaki female canon Dola more than makes up for it. An incredibly fun character with an excellent design, Dora is a fierce and fairly cut-throat pirate captain who has a dominating control over her crew (calling her Mama and treating her the expected kind of reverence and fear). I was actually always reminded of Mom from Futurama (though maybe not as ruthless), especially with her relationship with her “boys”. She's the star of the film, it is genuinely refreshing to have an older, bigger woman in a position of power, especially in the realm of fantasy story-telling. 

Sky pirate captain and 100% badass, Dola is the true star of the film

Despite my issues with the slightly shaky middle section of the film, the final third is nothing short of a masterpiece. When Pazu and Sheeta go through the storm clouds, in some of the most abstract animation of Miyazaki’s career, to reveal the stunning location of the titular castle, it’s nothing short of hair-raising. Laputa itself is a masterpiece of art design. A wonderful fusion of classic European (with particular reference to Anicent Greek) architecture and science-fiction, Laputa feels like a functional place and long abandoned. You could imagine that life once existed there. As the duo slowly explore the castle grounds, they meet more of the robots from earlier in the film. There's a wonderful melancholy to the robots of Laputa; I don't know what it is, there's just this inherent sadness to them. This is particularly revealed when the robot is tending a grave to long-deceased Laputians before the camera pans to reveal some of the robot’s fallen comrades, who clearly haven't functioned in decades as they succumb to rust and spreading rust. Things intensify when Muska and the army manage to break through and start ransacking Laputa. Muska, however, has other plans and seeks the heart of Laputa, revealing that he has long been researching into its secrets and that he, in fact, is spoilers a descendant from royal family. He reveals that, as well as being an incredibly advanced civilisation, Laputa also functions as a giant weapon. The final third is confident, thrilling and is essentially the reason to watch the film. 

The reveal of Laputa is simply breath-taking

The film reaches quite possibly one of Miyazaki’s best final set piece, as Pazu and Sheeta announce the forbidden magic words “balse”, which begins the process of destroying Laputa’s weapon core. The animation here is stunning, as brick by brick, the castle beings to disintegrate as the characters desperately try to dodge the falling debris. This is where Joe Hisaishi's powerful score really kicks in. Hearing him let loose with a full orchestra shows how powerful his compositions are. The theme for Laputa (in particular when it is sung by a choir) just gives me chills every time. 

One thing I didn't mention in the Nausicaa article was the English dub (mostly because I don't have a lot to say - it's fine and it has Patrick Stewart) but I want to start discussing them a little bit in each article. Castle in the Sky has a very mixed bag when it comes to the dubbing. On the one hand you have Mark Hamill and Cloris Leachman as Muska and Dola, respectively. Both are great in the roles, with Hamill in particular bringing out the insanity that Muska eventually succumbs to (he was The Joker, after all). I might even prefer Hamill to the Japanese voice actor. Our two leads however are not so great and since we spend most of the film with them, it really hurts the dub. James Van Der Beek makes Pazu sound like there's a 20 year old man trapped inside the body of a little boy. Anna Paquin tries to give Sheeta this Europeany (?) accent at the start of the film but ultimately gives up half way through. They're just not suited for the roles or the tone of the film. The Japanese voice actors are much better at communicating the childlike wonder of going on an adventure. As part of an earlier American release of the film, in order to give it broader appeal, the local distributor asked Ghibli and Hisaishi to record more music for the film. The very early Ghibli films contain a lack of music in scenes where you’d normally expect to hear it. I think his lends a greater atmosphere and allows you to concentrate on the minute of the scenes. Like that classic adage, it's where Hisaishi decides not to score that interesting. However, to keep the dub in line with more traditional Disney fare, Hisaishi added new music and re-recorded large chunks of the score. Honestly, the music itself is excellent but I think it robs the film of a certain atmosphere. Fortunately, this was repeated only on the dub of Kiki’s Delivery Service. 

I really hope I've not come down too hard on the film because I still really like it

Overall, Castle in the Sky holds up as a fine Miyazaki film, that shows off the director's incredible attention to detail, art design and world building. Even if I do personally find the gender politics of this one a little suspect and the plotting a little bit shaky, it's still a classic film. When Castle in the Sky gets things right, it simply knocks it out of the park. It's clearly the work of a young director trying to find his feet and feeling around what works and what doesn't. Miyazaki would never again return to this style of broad fantasy-action-adventure film but, as it stands, Castle in the Sky is still very watchable with plenty of thrilling moments to warrant repeat viewings. It's not a personal favourite but there's still plenty to recommend.  

Following Castle in the Sky's success, Ghibli began to ponder its next move and decided to make one of the most ambitious and odd moves of its career. In one of the strangest double-bill imaginable, Ghibli would form two very different takes on childhood. The first one I will discuss has been described as the "the greatest film you'll never want to watch again"....you know what's coming...