Much loved by adults and children alike, Studio Ghibli’s contribution to the world of cinema has so far been a continually welcomed dose of adult friendly childhood fantasy which, continues to accelerate beyond the now seemingly redundant benchmark Disney previously set for hand-drawn animation. Last year’s Ponyo (2010) managed to mesmerise audiences with its charming retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, so with Arriety similarly adapted from a much loved children’s classic (The Borrowers) it would be fair to say that expectations are high…
Arriety is a young borrower, or ‘little person’ as they’re known to those who believe in them. She lives within the walls of a house inhabited by human ‘beans’ and has done so comfortably for all of her life, enjoying the overgrown playground of the neighbouring garden whilst frolicking with the local insects and creating her own floral haven at home from scented herbs and flowers. Thanks to an essential combination of ingenuity, accelerated adaptability and some crafty ‘borrowing’, Arriety and her parents have managed to fight the odds and survive in this oversized world fraught with perils at every turn, unbeknownst to the humans they’re dependant on for sustenance.
One morning a young boy, pale and fragile, arrives at the house. His name is Sho and he’s returning to his mother’s family home to stay with his aunt in the hope the fresh air and quite solitude of the countryside will help him gain some much needed rest before his potentially fatal heart operation. He’s aware of the mythology concerning these ‘little people’ from his mother’s handed down tales of youthful exuberance and childhood adventures growing up in this rural paradise. However, he took little notice of these imaginative stories until one night he awakes to the sound of a fallen sugar cube accidentally dropped by Arriety whilst embarking on her first borrowing trip.
Despite her parent’s warnings about making herself visible to the humans, Arriety soon embarks on a touching relationship with Sho which, despite its unconventional nature, will ultimately give them both the strength they need to overcome the future obstacles they must face.
As to be expected from a Ghibli film there’s an underlying message about mankind’s destructive nature and its environmental effect. However, unlike previous efforts such as Nausicaa (1984) and Princess Mononoke (1997) the subject is treated more delicately, never seeming over played or needlessly preachy. Instead Arriety chooses to use this ‘social warning’ subplot as the foundations for its emotionally charged tale of adolescent confusion to present itself. It culminates in the film’s central relationship between Arriety and Sho being completely unhindered by external influences, allowing more than sufficient time for their friendship to flourish and thus appearing all the more natural because of it.
From the rigorous attention to detail of the heart warming, imaginative inventions used by these petit scavengers to the soft lilting score that gently flows through the film’s innocently sweet dialogue it’s difficult not to fall in love with Arriety. This fantastical voyage into a magical realm of child fantasy imbued with reality may not reach the higher echelons of the Ghibli franchise but it comfortable sits amongst the company’s already delightful back catalogue of dutifully loved animated gems.
Arriety is out in cinemas 29th July 2011.
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Stars: Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler, Tomokazu Miura
Runtime: 94 min
Country: Japan
Film Rating: 
