Continuing with my Studio Ghibli retrospective, I turn to Porco Rosso. The opening shots of Porco Rosso (1992), written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, are a masterclass in economical storytelling. We begin with a shot of a blue sky, glimpsed from within a ravine. The camera tilts down the ravine cliffs to reveal a small …
Tag Archives: Ghibli
Going Back to School: Only Yesterday Review
Who says animated movies can’t be subtle, character-based dramas? I continue my Studio Ghibli retrospective with a review of Only Yesterday. Some moments in our lives can take on an importance far beyond what any objective measure would suggest. This is especially true in childhood, because children lack perspective and minor incidents can be rapturous …
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The New Girl in Town: Kiki’s Delivery Service Review
Years before anyone had ever heard of Harry Potter, Studio Ghibli provided its own tale of a magical, broomstick-riding adolescent. I continue my Ghibli retrospective with Kiki’s Delivery Service. The most outlandish stories can move us emotionally. A reader or viewer might never have experienced magic or journeyed to other worlds or otherwise had the …
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Childhood Magic: My Neighbor Totoro Review
Having previously been called upon, by my Studio Ghibli retrospective, to review one of the saddest movies I have ever seen, I am now called upon to review one of the most delightful. My Neighbor Totoro, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, was released by Studio Ghibli in 1988. The movie notoriously appeared on a double bill …
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Innocents in Wartime: Grave of the Fireflies Review
Continuing with my retrospective on Studio Ghibli films, I turn to Grave of the Fireflies (1988). Released two years after Studio Ghibli’s debut feature Castle in Sky, Grave of the Fireflies is quite the contrast to Hayao Miyazaki’s rollicking science fiction adventure. Written and directed by Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, from a novel by Akiyuki …
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Flying High: Castle in the Sky Review
I have watched Castle in the Sky (1986; aka Laputa: Castle in the Sky) twice now and have had the same reaction both times. During roughly the first half of the movie I felt fairly uninvolved and found myself thinking “Well, there are some nice moments, but overall this is kind of cutesy and tedious.” …
The Cameraman 