The Secret World of Arrietty

During the 2010 holidays, I stayed with my brother and his family.  This included my adorable, obnoxiously energetic 3 year old niece.  For everyone who does not have or spend time around children, let me give you one piece of gee-whiz information:  they do not get sick of things like us boring adults do.  She wanted to watch three DVD’s on a never-ending loop the entire time I was there.  These ‘movies’ were

1.) Frosty The Snowman, the 1969 animated classic.

2.) Elmo’s Potty Time, which can hardly be called a movie, but did teach me how to really enjoy pooping.

3.) Spirited Away, the classic film from Studio Ghibli, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

            One of these things is not like the other.  Two of the ‘films’ were short, to the point, and arguably aimed directly at a specific audience.  Namely children under the age of 5.  The third movie?  Why, a sprawling, 2+ hour film that deals with far more difficult topics than bowel movements and magical hats.  Yet, thanks to the magic touch of Miyazaki, kids and adults alike can get something magical out of it.  That’s something that I doubt will ever be said about Elmo’s Potty Time; no matter how useful the film is as a training video, it’s not exactly enrapturing.

            That’s why I was so happy to see The Secret World ofArrietty yesterday.  Though I’ve said that I won’t review children’s movies, the combination of this one being a Studio Ghibli film, my not having anything lined up for today, and the fact that the movie I’ll be watching this weekend is the stupid-looking Project X, I’ve decided that rules are meant to be broken.

            On to the review!

            The Secret World of Arrietty is a Japanese film based on the American story of The Borrowers, and had also been explored in similar animated themes when The Littles premiered back in 1983.  So how exactly do you do rehash such a lighthearted concept?  Why, you make the movie breathtakingly gorgeous, of course!

            There is no mistaking that this film was created outside American studios.  Though adults can enjoy it, it's not because there are adult jokes hidden in the subtext.  Kids can enjoy it even though it never caters to the lowest common denominator of poop and pee jokes.

            Visually, it has the same strange combination of loose lines and amazing texture as all Studio Ghibli's films, such as Howl’s Moving Castle and Kiki’s Delivery Service.  What really makes Arriety stand apart is the sound design.  In order to convey the size differences of our main characters, this movie takes great pains to make what are slight, subtle sounds to human ears become huge, booming noises to the Borrowers, the 4-inch tall people who live under the floorboards.

            The plot is very simple and straightforward.  Arrietty (voiced by Bridgit Mendler) is the only child of Pod (Will Arnett) and Homily (Amy Poehler) and they may be the final three borrowers in the entire world.  (Note that the UK version has completely different voice actors.)  They live by one rule and one rule only:  If you’re seen by a Bean (human being) then you have to move, because the Bean will never leave you alone once they know of your existence.  Of course, Arrietty is seen by Shawn (David Henrie) on two separate occasions in spite of her attempts to stay hidden.  Shawn, however, is desperately lonely and tries to convince her that he means no harm.  Nevertheless, Arrietty's parents decide they should move, but not before some chaos involving the housekeeper (Carol Burnett!). 

            That’s the entire plot, and though it sounds like it could make for a busy movie, rest assured that this film luxuriates in atmosphere.  I have never seen a slower children’s movie, yet every frame is so full of beauty and detail that even the long stretches where nothing important happens are enrapturing.  I often found myself trying to absorb all the detail at once and getting overwhelmed.  The simple act of Arriety travelling from the front yard to her home was so full of amazing sights and sounds that nobody in the theater seemed to mind that it was a five minute scene that didn’t really accomplish anything plot-wise.

            This is why Studio Ghibli is so important for American audiences.  Our Western children’s movies are fast-paced and so chock full of go-go-go every second that the kids are never given a chance to just absorb the film.  Miyazaki’s movies almost force you to do just that.  The funny thing is, despite the constant barrage of plot and action in movies like Shrek, Madagascar and Happy Feet, these movies only ever need to be seen once, if at all.  The only American film company that comes close to the Japanese aesthetic is Pixar, and everyone readily agrees that it’s because they’re nothing like the rest of America’s purveyors of children’s films.

            Go see The Secret World of Arrietty if you’ve got an eye for detail, an ear for amazing sound, love good children’s movies, love good movies, or just want to support the continued success of films that don’t cater to the bullshit belief that our children need shot-a-minute ADHD crap shoved down their eyeholes.