REVIEW Movie Review: When Marnie Was There

Idol Killer

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Movie Review: When Marnie Was There
Written by: Idol Killer

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Winter is now well on the way, and it has been far from pleasant for me due to the constant cold weather and flu. Nothing helps get well faster than sitting back with a hot chocolate and watching one of the most magical movies that I have ever seen. I stumbled upon this movie "When Marnie Was There" a month ago, a very touching animated film produced by the great Studio Ghibli. So, if you're a fan of sentimental tales, this one is for you.


It is adapted from the novel of the same name written by Joan G. Robinson, an excellent book that you would want to read. "When Marnie Was There" is about a young asthmatic pre-teen girl named Anna. Her foster parents worry endlessly about her due to her poor health and lack of friends. After one of her asthma attacks, her doctor suggested that they send the young girl to the countryside to live with her aunt and uncle, in the hopes that the clear air and relaxing lifestyle would improve her health. One day, while she was wandering around, Anna discovered an abandoned mansion. There, she encounters a girl around her age with whom she develops a friendship.



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I loved the beautiful animation realized in this movie - it falls smoothly in place with the delicate story. The mystery that is omnipresent in the scenes where Marnie was featured in was also made in a way that kept our minds constantly trying to decipher the character - who is this girl named Marnie? Why does she only appear in the middle of the night? By the end of this masterpiece, every question will be answered, which, in my opinion, is a sign that this movie was well made.


For many people including myself, this movie has many subjects that may be close to an experience that you may have had to deal with yourself. Subjects such as difficulty in interacting with others, lack of self-esteem, and many more are things that can make a lot of people feel connected with Anna.


*When Marnie Was There* was seemingly going to be the last movie to be made by the legendary Studio Ghibli due to the short retirement of Hayao Miyazaki. In my opinion, this would have been a beautiful ending for a company that has given us so many classics such as "Spirited Away", "Princess Mononoke", "Castle in the Sky", and many more. Having a gentle and light summer breeze brushing against us is the feeling that the studio has been blessing us with for years and years. if "When Marnie Was There" ended up being their last film, it was able to show the epitome of the studio's signature style.


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The film features an amazing set of soundtracks like "Fine on the outside", which was performed by the lovely Priscilla Ahn, and other magical songs performed by Takatsugu Muramatsu. All the songs blended well with the type of movie that this is, which deals with the feeling of being abandoned by society, family, and friends.

One thing that stood out for me about When Marnie Was There is that it is not as appreciated as the rest of Studio Ghibli's works. It might be because it was adapted since coincidentally, three of the lesser popular Ghibli works were also adaptations. As for my own opinion? I believe that even though it's complicated to stay loyal to the original work, Ghibli was able to do it amazingly. To be honest, I might have never tried reading the original books as well if not for these movies.

In conclusion, When Marnie Was There is a gorgeously-made animation that will captivate you with the mystery that lies within the story and the sweet atmosphere constantly floating in every scene. It is a movie made for everyone and something anyone will enjoy no matter how old they are. This is a film that I definitely recommend to watch at least once in your life.


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Story: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Music: 9.5/10
Animation: 10/10

9.5/10
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Polaris_Tae

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oof, I remember watching this ages ago, it was a good movie, but for the god-tier status of Studio Ghibli, I don't really feel like it was amazing, especially considering Studio Ghibli has a penchant for reminiscence and melancholy film techniques which iirc I found little of in the finished product, and didn't think it would age as well as films like 'Howls Moving Castle', 'Spirited Away' and 'The Cat Returns'. Might go and rewatch it again soon ~
 

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thanks for the review, i always heard about this movie in passing but i've never actually seen it
i might watch it whenever i get my next break :munchlax:
 
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