When Marnie Was There
And Studio Ghibliends their Miyazaki era with a quiet film, When Marnie Was There. It’s not one of their greatest, but it continues the tradition of excellence they are known for.
Marnie is a story about a lonely young girl, orphaned, living with adopted parents, shipped out to the country to spend summer vacation away from Tokyo. She takes this as a sign that her adoptive parents are tired of her. Also, because they receive a stipend from the government to take care of her, Marnie gets the idea she is not really loved. While in the country, she keeps meeting a mysterious girl who lives in a derelict house. Only she can see her and the magnificence of the house when it was filled with people. She feels a connection to this girl. How? Why?
Although, the story was contrived to end with, the film was decent. Ghibli films always are. The animation is high quality.
I caught the English dub. I was hoping for subtitles, because I believe that Japanese anime needs to be seen with the original voice actors.
Watch only if you are a Ghibli completist. I am, so I did.
3 of 5 stars.
