So, I just watched Arrietty. I put it off for the longest time since I always heard mixed things about it. I can safely say this was the first Ghibli film that I just did not like. I walked away so disappointed, and slightly aggravated. Oh where to begin.
The first thing that really annoyed me, was the music. I found the music mix in this film to be off. Music levels would be way too high in parts. I know this sounds like a strange thing to complain about, but how they used music in this movie was so damn baffling. There are scenes that would be so much stronger, if they just allowed silence. If we could just hear the sound of the background (the sound of the bugs, the wind etc.) But throughout the film you get this swelling music (some with singing), and at times it's even layered over dialogue. It was also the frequency that they used it, and how the music would segue into the scenes. I find this really strange, because I generally find Ghibli masterfully knows how to use music in their film and yet this felt so amateurish here. Granted, this is a small gripe (not to make it like a major reason I disliked it).
I thought the plot felt like a constant struggle. I was under the assumption that this would be a story about this borrower, and her becoming friends with this boy. That it would be about her breaking from the rules, and showing her family that some beings can be nice, and that a relationship/co-existence can exist. But they barely have any scenes together, and I never really felt the growth of their friendship (because we didn't get to see it!). The majority of the second half of the film focuses on that annoying care taker, that is hell bent on capturing the borrowers. I can't tell you how aggravating I found her character. Why she had so much investment. I get that the plot tells us it's because no one would ever believe her. But jesus. She was such an annoying character, and I never really bought into why she was the way she was (especially in the context of the story). Even early on, she's giving the boy these scowling and suspicious looks (the guy has a freakin heart disease for f' sake. You are supposed to be looking after him, not constantly snooping and being suspicious of him). I just did not like her.
Ultimately, I get this film was more from the perspective of Arrietty (hence the title of the film). And they had that theme of surviving, and fighting what you believe in. And the film decides to end with her and the family searching for their other family members (or holding on to hope they will), instead of just staying holed up in one place. But I just did not enjoy the journey or the plot. I really wish there was more time and build up spent on her relationship with the boy. But I will admit that apart of my dislike of this film, was my wish for the plot to have gone differently. And usually I'm totally fine with a plot doing it's own thing (defying my expectations, or what I think would have been more enjoyable). But it just rubbed me the wrong way, and I walked away feeling so let down.
Basically all I can say about it. I just didn't enjoy the plot and how it played out. It's the only Ghibli film so far that I did not like. The ONLY film I have not seen yet from Ghibli now is Tales from Earthsea, which I hear has a lot of script problems. I'll probably wait a lot longer to watch that one.
The first thing that really annoyed me, was the music. I found the music mix in this film to be off. Music levels would be way too high in parts. I know this sounds like a strange thing to complain about, but how they used music in this movie was so damn baffling. There are scenes that would be so much stronger, if they just allowed silence. If we could just hear the sound of the background (the sound of the bugs, the wind etc.) But throughout the film you get this swelling music (some with singing), and at times it's even layered over dialogue. It was also the frequency that they used it, and how the music would segue into the scenes. I find this really strange, because I generally find Ghibli masterfully knows how to use music in their film and yet this felt so amateurish here. Granted, this is a small gripe (not to make it like a major reason I disliked it).
I thought the plot felt like a constant struggle. I was under the assumption that this would be a story about this borrower, and her becoming friends with this boy. That it would be about her breaking from the rules, and showing her family that some beings can be nice, and that a relationship/co-existence can exist. But they barely have any scenes together, and I never really felt the growth of their friendship (because we didn't get to see it!). The majority of the second half of the film focuses on that annoying care taker, that is hell bent on capturing the borrowers. I can't tell you how aggravating I found her character. Why she had so much investment. I get that the plot tells us it's because no one would ever believe her. But jesus. She was such an annoying character, and I never really bought into why she was the way she was (especially in the context of the story). Even early on, she's giving the boy these scowling and suspicious looks (the guy has a freakin heart disease for f' sake. You are supposed to be looking after him, not constantly snooping and being suspicious of him). I just did not like her.
Ultimately, I get this film was more from the perspective of Arrietty (hence the title of the film). And they had that theme of surviving, and fighting what you believe in. And the film decides to end with her and the family searching for their other family members (or holding on to hope they will), instead of just staying holed up in one place. But I just did not enjoy the journey or the plot. I really wish there was more time and build up spent on her relationship with the boy. But I will admit that apart of my dislike of this film, was my wish for the plot to have gone differently. And usually I'm totally fine with a plot doing it's own thing (defying my expectations, or what I think would have been more enjoyable). But it just rubbed me the wrong way, and I walked away feeling so let down.
Basically all I can say about it. I just didn't enjoy the plot and how it played out. It's the only Ghibli film so far that I did not like. The ONLY film I have not seen yet from Ghibli now is Tales from Earthsea, which I hear has a lot of script problems. I'll probably wait a lot longer to watch that one.
