The Secret World of Arrietty - Blu-ray + DVD

I have a special place in my heart for Studio Ghibli. The only problem I've really had with most Ghibli films in the past has been their tendency to have plots driven mainly by the occult.This movie, fortunately, lacks that element of the Miyazaki legacy, though I probably would have enjoyed it anyway. In fact, in some ways, I think I enjoyed this movie more than any other production ever released by Studio Ghibli, which is high praise indeed.It's a story about a boy named Shawn, who goes to a small house in the countryside, where he discovers a family of very small people, who survive by taking what they need from the humans they live with; little things that people won't miss. The tiny people call themselves borrowers, and often refer to the humans as "beans." The family consists of an old married couple and their teenage daughter Arrietty.The plot picks up when Arrietty is seen by Shawn, and the two begin a sort of strange friendship, which, unfortunately, can never be, since all borrowers know that to be seen by one human invites the curiosity and greed of the others, a fact which is proven jarringly true for the poor borrower family.The father of the family is somber, softspoken and savvy. He's something of an action hero, because he needs to be to take care of his family, getting in and out of kitchens and bedrooms quickly and without anyone seeing him. He also seems to be a master craftsman in many fields. His wife is herself very creative and skilled, demonstrating skill in knitting and cooking, though the primary impression that she's likely to leave on viewers is her tendency to worry.Both Arrietty and Shawn are curious souls seeking to understand and bear life as best they can; figuring out how to get by, one step at a time, like all of us.Ghibli films have a long history of taking their time and showing the viewers absolutely stunning sights. Every single Ghibli film is gorgeous to look at, and yet, they tend to be patient affairs as well. They allow a world of wonder to unfold before the eyes of the viewer; a world with its own problems and trials, like ours, and they take their time in doing it, instead of rushing around in big, flashy musical numbers and telling joke after ridiculous joke.This film is certainly no exception to that. None of the characters sing, nor do they tell jokes. Many of them are introspective and quiet, and yet, the subject matter is such that it's hard to grow impatient with the movie. I would say that this film is probably slower-paced and less intense than any other Ghibli film, but I actually thought the movie benefitted from its quiet atmosphere, as very tiny people trying hard not to be seen would, naturally, make very little noise.In the end, though, as I said, the thing I liked most about it was that its premise was something nobody could take issue with. Witches, magic potions, evil wizards and superpowered crystals could all be troublesome subjects for young children to absorb, but little people in an old house is the kind of fantasy that anyone can get into. There's even one scene of Arrietty's mother briefly praying for her daughter and husband. They do technically live by stealing things from humans, but because of their size, nothing they take is really that big of a deal, even according to the catechism of the Catholic Church. It's a distinction that may need to be made by parents after the film is over, but certainly not a problem with the movie itself.There are also quite a few good moral messages to be derived from this kind of story. "A person's a person, no matter how small," "sometimes, even the smallest person can make the biggest difference," and even a message about how the power of goodness (in this case, courage,) can be made most perfect in weakness. However, the film isn't perfect, and most of that, I suspect, has to do with the dubbing. A few of the lines feel overly-familiar and almost cookie-cuttered in, and Shawn's voice could have stood to gain a few octaves. He sounded like he was in his late 20s.Still, I recommend this movie heartily to anyone who has a child or is still a child at heart; still willing to dream of other worlds beyond our own, which is really the point of most Ghibli features when you get down to it. They do just what I want a film to do, elevating our minds to other possibilities and other worlds. This one manages to make even a normal world look alien and strange, and thus maintain its strong level of interest for the child in all of us. Most especially, I recommend this movie to those who, like myself, are religious and seeking a quieter, calmer alternative to the American "entertainment" of today.

I love Studio Ghibli's work Studio Ghibli Movie Collection. Tthe loving attention to each scene, even the tiniest details, makes their movies beautiful to watch.You probably are familiar with the story The Borrowers. The characters are Arrietty (voiced by Bridgit Mendler) who lives with her parents (voiced by Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) underneath the floorboards in a beautiful house in the Japanese country side. Life can be dangerous for these little people - cats, birds, bugs and "Beans" (humans) could easily hurt them or destroy their whole household.It seems to be generally quiet until Sean/Shawn (voiced by David Henrie) shows up to rest up for a heart operation. Obviously he is frail and has been overprotected, but his parents are much too busy to come stay with him. Instead, he is entrusted to Hara the housekeeper (voiced by Carol Burnett*). Now I love Carol Burnett's work, but she is not a good pick for this particular character. You know it's Carol Burnett as soon as she speaks and because of that, you have certain expectations from the character. Her voice took me out of the suspension of belief in the movie. I know Disney makes sure to get "name" actors to do the dubbing, but I believe that is so wrong. There are so many good voice actors out there - one of those should have been assigned the role of Hara. (By the way, I didn't feel that way about the other voices used for the dubbing - just Carol Burnett's voice).Anyway, Shawn accidentally sees Arietty. This is a terrible thing because that means Arriety and her family will have to move. "Beans" don't take kindly to "Borrowers" and generally resort to force to get rid of the Borrowers. But slowly and believably, Shawn and Arietty become friends. Shawn and Arriety manage to make a huge change in each other's lives despite the vast amount of difference between the two.The animation is beautiful. Each cloud, each blade of grass, each poppy and marigold are rendered in enchanting watercolors. The details are so precise. It's just lovely to watch the artwork.Japanese animation has a look and feel different from American animation. The story has a slower pace, nothing is Disneyfied for the inevitable tie-ins of toys, Happy Meals and tv specials. The story is simply told. There's no magical solution to ensure a perfect "happily ever after" ending. But it is a good ending.Personally, when I watch this movie again (and I will), I will watch it in Japanese with English subtitles. There is so much less dialog in the Japanese version and of course, Carol Burnett isn't lending her voice to the Hara character. If you are watching this with a child, you probably will want to use the dubbed version.Either way you watch this movie, it is beautiful and brilliant. I recommend this highly to everybody.* I think Carol Burnett is an amazing comedian and I enjoy her work tremendously. But "name" actors seem to taint their roles with what you know about the actor's worker. If you use voice actors....well, that's how they make their living by making different voices. I think it would make it a much better film. And it's not just this film, it's any foreign film. And no, I am not a voice actor and don't know any voice actors personally. Nobody paid me to say it. It's just what I believe.