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'When Marnie Was There' may not be one of Studio Ghibli's best films ('Princess Mononoke', 'Spirited Away', 'My Neighbour Totoro', 'Castle in the Sky', 'Whisper of the Heart' and 'Grave of the Fireflies).
But even when Ghibli are not at their best they still produce films that are better than most studios at their worst, while 'Tales from Earthsea' is from personal opinion their weakest effort it does have enough to make it watchable still. 'When Marnie Was There' drags a little at times particularly in the first half an hour or so, which is somewhat aimless, and some of the supporting characters could have been much better fleshed out.
These flaws aside, 'When Marnie Was There' is still a real charmer, and ranks possibly around higher middle of Studio Ghibli's filmography. Its best assets have to be the animation and the music. The animation is simply wondrous, the colours are both atmospheric and ethereal, all the characters are appealingly drawn in distinctive Studio Ghibli fashion and the backgrounds are exquisitely detailed and gorgeously idyllic, was also really impressed by how Anna's facial expressions conveyed so much. The music is incredibly beautifully orchestrated and sears with emotion , nostalgia and atmosphere, often appropriately gentle and sometimes melancholic. "Fire on the Outside" is genuinely moving as well, not mawkish or over-sentimental at all.
Scripting warms the heart and moves the soul, the lack of humour not being an issue at all, and actually considering the story it would have felt very misplaced if it was included. The story, centring around Marnie and Anna's friendship, is haunting, heart-warming and often incredibly poignant with the right amount of mystery, the central friendship being charmingly and sometimes heart-wrenchingly portrayed. The message is a strong one, and gives the film an uplifting quality, if one is wondering how the message is written here it does succeed in not preaching too much.
Marnie and Anna are likable, well-written characters , while the voice actors fill their roles sensitively.
All in all, not one of Studio Ghibli's finest but still a charmer. The DVD bought from Amazon was pricey, but at the end of the day it didn't feel like a waste of money. 8/10 Bethany Cox
8/10
