funny_flute
There is no denying that When Marnie was there is a gorgeous film, with a beautiful soundtrack and every frame a painting. But that's about all it's good for. Take away the lovely animation and the brilliant composition, then all that's left is a dull and mediocre story.My main problem is the main character, Anna. As someone with asthma myself, I must say she is not only unrelatable, but also unlikable. Poor, poor Anna. You're born into a gorgeous middle- class family, have two loving guardians, have people who want to befriend you despite your empty and soulless personality. It must be terrible living in such a beautiful, hundred-acre house with a garden and surrounded by mountains, lakes and forests. Unbearable, I say. What's that, you immediately dislike a girl you didn't know other than the fact that she looks 'ugly and fat'? You insulted her as well, after an attempt to be your friend? Gosh, I can't imagine how miserable I would be if I were her. Then you meet a pretty rich blond girl and you instantly become friends? That's cool.First of all, can we really say Anna is a role model for girls? Doesn't she just inspire you with her boringness? She is constantly depressed and humourless, not to mention emotionless most of the time. This girl lives a sheltered, well-provided life and she's bitching about it because her foster parents are getting child benefits. She's never faced a single true hardship about life, not even her sickness. It doesn't serve to empower her will to live by the end, only as an excuse for her to come to beautiful countryside hide-out that's the setting of the movie.I feel like all the movie's good for is for viewers to admire the breathtaking animation. Take that away and this is just another hollow movie with no real drive, tension or plot. Overpraised is what I would say.
James Hitchcock
Joan G. Robinson's novel "When Marnie Was There" is a favourite of mine and has long enjoyed great popularity in Britain, but I was surprised to learn that it is also known in Japan. The original novel is set in a seaside village in Norfolk, but this animated version transfers the action to the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. The characters become Japanese rather than English, although the names of the two main characters, Anna and Marnie, have been retained. Rather oddly, Marnie remains a blue-eyed blonde, as she was in the book: Anna is a brunette, but nevertheless has large round blue eyes. Now characters, especially female characters, in anime often look surprisingly Caucasian, even when they are supposed to be Japanese. In this case, however, Marnie is the daughter of an English father and Japanese mother. (There is also an explanation for Anna's blue eyes, but I won't say what it is as that would be to give away too much of the ending).In this version Anna is a shy, withdrawn and introverted girl, probably aged about 12, living in Sapporo with her foster-parents, with whom she has lived ever since her real parents were killed in a car crash and her grandmother died soon afterwards. Because she suffers from asthma, Anna is sent away from the city to live with Mr & Mrs Oiwa, relatives of her stepmother, in a rural seaside town. Anna has always found it difficult to make friends; she feels that all the rest of the world is inside an invisible circle and that she is on the outside. At first does not seem any happier at the seaside than she did in Sapporo, but things change when she meets Marnie, a girl living in a large house by the sea.The two girls form a close friendship, the first either has ever known, but there is something strange about Marnie, who asks Anna to keep their relationship a secret and who seems to appear and disappear mysteriously. Nobody seems to know anything about her or her family, and her house, although obviously once grand, seems dilapidated and abandoned. Anna finds herself wondering whether her new friend is real, or a ghost, or a figment of her imagination. Eventually Marnie seems to disappear for good, but Anna is befriended by another family who have recently arrived in the village, especially their daughter Sayaka, and this leads to the truth about Marnie, and about Anna's own past, eventually being revealed.When I was younger, animated movies always seemed like something specifically American; Disney seemed to have the market in full-length cartoons sewn up. In more recent decades, however, Disney seem to have abandoned the traditional hand-drawn cartoon in favour of computer animation, and their mantle has passed to Japan, particularly Studio Ghibli. The Ghibli style, however, is very different from the Disneys which I used to love as a child- less stylised, more realistic and with more subdued colours. The visual look of "When Marnie Was There" is particularly attractive; I have never been to Hokkaido, but the mountainous landscapes depicted here conjure up the same sort of sense of place which Robinson achieved with her descriptions of the very different Norfolk coast.Much as I love Robinson's book, it does have a couple of minor weaknesses. She never fully explains why Anna is allowed to take so much time off school and what becomes of her biological father after his divorce from her mother. There is perhaps something of a slackening of intensity in the third quarter of the book, between Anna's final meeting with Marnie and the denouement. In the film, however, all these matters are addressed or resolved. Anna's absence from school is explained by her health condition, and Anna's mother is only married once; the man who dies with her in the accident is Anna's father, not her stepfather. The pacing is also better, with no perceptible slackening, possibly because Sayaka, who emerges as Anna's new friend and confidante, is a more well-developed figure than Priscilla, the equivalent character in the book.On the surface, Robinson's novel is a simple tale of the friendship between two young girls, but beneath that surface it is surprisingly deep, tackling the interrelated subjects of loneliness, friendship, bereavement and parental neglect. All of these elements are covered in as much depth in the film version which, I feel, in some respects even manages to improve upon the book. With this film Studio Ghibli have succeeded in the difficult task of taking a story very much rooted in one culture, transferring it to another, very different culture (with only a few minor changes to the plot) and producing something of universal relevance. A beautiful film. 10/10
markjplee
It's not often I watch a movie then jump straight in to write a review, but this is a rare exception. As a long time Ghibli fan I had been disappointed by their last couple of movies. From the dragging depression and heartbreak of The Wind Rises to the forgettable Up On Poppy Hill, I was hoping When Marnie Was There would break the trend and return to, if not the fantastical magic of Ponyo and Totoro, then at least the sweet satisfaction of the likes of Arietty and Whisper of the Heart. In fact I surfaced from this film wondering if it may just be the most perfect Ghibli of all time. How on Earth can this have lost to Inside Out in the Academy Awards? It's just on another level. Sure it's less fun and cartoony and probably dull for kids to watch, but in terms of artistry, depth of plot, and sheer magic...well, comparing IO to WMWH is like comparing fart jokes to Shakespeare. Not since the first ten minutes of Up have I felt so emotionally drained from watching an animation. And in a good way: the ending doesn't leave you with tears caused by tragedy (Grave of the Fireflies springs to mind) but with those of pure, bittersweet joy. It's a movie that explores the true meaning of love so many ways; friendship, family, fostering and even same-sex relationships. It says more about the uncertain and fearful psyche of a lonely teenager than Inside Out ever could. It is Ghibli's perfect demonstration that one needs to look beyond the superficial, to forgive people for their insecurities and that if you truly care for someone then neither blood, gender or time can or should get in the way. 10/10
David
When Marnie Was There is the latest and perhaps the last film from the legendary Japanese Studio Ghibli. The two giants of the studio, Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata have both gone into retirement and the studio announced that they will not be making any more films for now. Takahata and Miyazaki are responsible for some of Ghibli's greatest films such as Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies. When Marnie Was There is directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and is about the introvert girl Anna who is sent to the countryside to live with relatives. She becomes obsessed with a deserted mansion and the girl who lives there who may or may not be real.Ghibli's films usually contains imagination and the focus is almost always on children but despite that, the films are not only meant for them and also often include deep meanings and thoughts. Ghibli has always been incredibly skillful in drawing and creating magnificent images and When Marnie Was There is no exception. The beautiful Japanese landscapes makes you want to travel there immediately and see the country for yourself. The film is told like a detective story and Anna finds and puts the clues together one by one. She is our guide throughout the film and what she experiences, we experience too.When Marnie Was There has a story I believe many can relate to. Not being able to find your own place in this world and to feel like an outcast. Anna searches like many children do, for their place in society and at the same time she's trying to understand her life and situation. The film is also about strong friendship and love and why we are drawn specifically to some people. It's always hard for me to try and summarize Ghibli's films and explain why people should watch them. When Marnie Was There is a tale that absolutely works well as an entry to the magical world that is Studio Ghibli.
