The Wind Rises
This is the most unique film Miyazaki has made in his entire career. I don't think it's the best, but it's definitely up there, but what makes the film really special is how honest it is. I didn't really think Miyazaki had it in him to ground himself with this sort of story, which seems so unlike the sort of stories he usually tells. Age clearly hasn't slowed him down a bit in terms of having something worthwhile to say.
For a film that's really just about a guy's life, dreams, ambitions, and love, there's still quite a few fantastical elements about it. It certainly isn't a Takahata film, but it never tries to be that. The pace is quick and brisk, even if sometimes things don't really happen. There are flashes of drama, and there's almost always something interesting happening at any given time. But somehow it always manages to feel relatable, human, and honest.
The honesty is something which really struck a chord with me. The entire film felt like Miyazaki's way of saying "these are the people who lived in this time, these were their hopes and dreams, this is how they lived, this is how they loved" without needing to apologize for anything or downplay it. This isn't a propaganda film or a pro or anti war film, it's a period film about people who happened to live between world wars and some of their perspectives and contributions to that era.
Another thing which really stuck out to me was how confident the direction was. The film seamlessly transits through months or years without having to use on screen text or montages. There are many scenes which have no dialogue at all, and simply show extended moments of people doing something without forcing conversation or narration. It's pretty rare to see an animated film with direction like this, and it's not a technique Miyazaki frequently applies either, so that was pretty refreshing.
Lots of other things about the film is great - the music, the background animation, the effects, the crowd scenes, the subtle character animation, the extravagant fantasy sequences, and even Anno's performance. I'm sure lots of other people have praised all the technical aspects more than enough though, so I don't think I need to repeat it over again. Regarding Anno's casting though, I have to say - Miyazaki somehow made it work after all. As skeptical as I was, and as jarring as the first transition was when he went from a kid's voice to an adult voice, it worked for the show. Never got in the way for me, and while it's a bit distinctive as a voice, it is believable as an adult, and the conversations felt pretty natural.
tl;dr - Good movie, go watch it.
