Luca Padovan and Robert Pattinson. © 2023 GKids, Studio Ghibli, and Toho.
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki. VFA Nominee - 2 VFAs Including "Best Animated Feature Film"
Watched it at 59th The Chicago International Film Festival @ Music Box (CIFF #4)
How Do You Live? It has been a decade since Hayao Miyazaki's recent film, The Wind Rises. A decade of waiting. Waiting for the supposedly final film by Miyazaki and it is now here. Was it worth the long wait? It definitely is and Miyazaki pushes the animation genre with breathtaking animation and a deep story that will speak to our current lives and our morality. This story goes to new lengths to bring meaningful imagery and it lets us question our choices in life and the regrets we have that strengthen or weaken our relationships with others. So many questions that Miyazaki let us interpret with his latest film and it sure was a personal experience from beginning to end. Let's travel to the oceanic world and witness the beauty and madness of this world. Story: Mahito, a young 12-year-old boy, struggles to settle in a new town after his mother's death. However, when a talking heron informs Mahito that his mother is still alive, he enters an abandoned tower in search of her, which takes him to another world. The beauty of this film is out of this world with so many deep themes while keeping the "awe" factor that makes this film colorful and spectacular. Through its synopsis, it seems like a straightforward story about finding a mother in an extraordinary unique world. However, the story is far more through the visual imagery and characters. The characters are the story of this journey. It feels like this story is just a simple blueprint for the vast depth and emotional complex of the characters in the film which combines another story within the main initial story. I always loved the visual complexity, symbolism, and philosophical themes that Miyazaki explores and there's so much to explore. Yet, the more I watch and think back to the film, it gets more personal and it slowly reveals a huge message about grief and family relationships. Also, a theme of trying to move on and pushing yourself to become your true self. A lot of thematic elements and central themes which are almost all laid out with the protagonist and the side characters in the film. It doesn't feel like a narrative structure, but rather, a thematic structure and it spices the film through its crazy adventure. It feels like two films into one but it culminates the main themes of the film into a very personal message for Miyazaki and his audience. With those thematic elements, the characters carry them which makes their journey, a journey through personal ups and downs. These characters are very likable with certain characters having a lot of depth. The cast of characters are very great with the Heron character and Lady Himi being the biggest standouts. Even with their American voice-over performances, they are amazing and they have some much depth in their character that connects to the overarching themes. Lady Himi being a representative of a mother is very heartwarming and seeing her with the protagonist Mahito Maki was emotional and touching. These characters click easily and they carry the film alongside its supporting cast of characters. With these characters, it paints a picture of a personal journey for the audience and Miyazaki. I feel like these characters are a representation of Myazaki's family but also a representation of his emotions and past memories. It is a very personal film and it easily resonates with me through its many symbolisms and visual imagery. Even with its simple story, it opens for interpretation and lets you soak into the many emotions these characters are going through each event and it makes their journey wildly special.
The animation alone is a fantastic treat and a spectacle of wonder, imagination, and texture of each world and location Mahito Maki visits. 2D animation always floors me. Even though I love 3D animation, 2D animation, especially hand-drawn animation, really adds depth and smooth flow to the animation and there is more freedom to do. The set designs are flawless with each distinctive location being tied to the emotional and thematic context. I also have to compliment the food animation because the food in Studio Ghibli movies looks delicious and this film is no exception. Besides the wonderful animation, the sound design is great alongside its breathtaking score by Joe Hisaishi. The mixture of sound design and score really made the sound aspects stand out more frequently which adds a feel of vividness and straight-up goosebumps. Some of the in-animation camera work is smooth with divine lighting and colors! Altogether, the animation and technical filmmaking hits the jackpot with its stellar attention to detail and letting the audience feel the sense of imagination and scale through its huge feat of animation. Even with all of this praise, there are some flaws that I would like to point out.
The film's pacing was a bit of a mixed bag. While I like the editing choices with certain sequences and transitions, it felt a bit slow, but unintentionally. It could slow some of its emotional scenes and some little scenes or moments could have easily been cut out. The majority was in the first half of the film but the second half was much stronger with its editing and pacing. Plus, some audiences would be a bit lost with its narrative or even a bit bored because there is nothing quite going on in terms of plot. I could see that issue flying over some audiences and I felt like for certain scenes, the plot moved more slowly than I expected. Yet, it amps up when we arrive at the magical world and the rest of the film is a treat. Miyazaki gave us a wonderful and thematic focus film that not only speaks to him but to his central audience. Jaw-dropping animation, well-rounded thematic story, amazing voice-over performances with Robert Pattison and Karen Fukuhara being the major standouts, and maybe an emotional send-off to Miyazaki's career. We don't know for sure that this is his true final film but time will tell what will Miyazaki and the team at Studio Ghibli will do next.
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Vizeit Score: "A"
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Copyright © 2024 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Chief/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
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