When Marnie Was There 2014

     This film is based on a novel by Joan G. Robinson.  Anna is 12 years old, she has closed herself off from people and she hates herself.  She feels very bad because she is a foster child and her foster parents receive money to take care of her.  This makes her feel like they really don’t want her and only take care of her to receive the money.  Her foster parents decide to send her away from Sapporo to the country for the summer school break.  Anna has asthma and they feel the clean air will be good for her condition.  A change of scenery and change of people in her life might help her too.  She goes to live with a couple that are relatives of her foster mother and they live by the sea in the quiet town of Hokkaido.  A run-down mansion beside a salt marsh begins to fascinate Anna.  She gets to know the girl who lives there, Marnie and they become best friends.

     I really liked everything about this film, the animation, the story, the setting and the characters.  You can see that Anna is really struggling at home and at school.  Other teens sometimes tease her because she has blue eyes.  Anna doesn’t know anyone from her biological family.  The relatives, Setsu and Kiyomasa Oiwa don’t put any pressure on Anna and she is able to relax.  4 ½* (I really liked this movie)

103 min, Animation directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi with the voices of Ava Acres, Kyle Arem, Laura Bailey, Kathy Bates, Erick Bauza, Bob Bergen, Taylor Autumn Bertman, Mila Brener, Ellen Burstyn Geena Davis.

Note:  Imdb 7.8 out of 10, 89% critic 88% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 115 reviews.

Special Note:  This is the second film by Yonebayashi, he also made The Secret World of Arrietty.  After finishing this film, Studio Ghibli took their longest break from filmmaking.