"When Marnie Was There" (2014), Studio Ghibli's last film was among its best

I wish more knew about "When Marnie Was There" (2014), a tender-hearted melodrama about a young adopted girl, Anna, who is sent to the country as a way to recover from her social anxiety. Anna's social anxiety comes from her pain at feeling unloved and is is in her time in the country she meets Marnie, a young girl living in a mansion beside the river (or is Marnie a figure of Anna's imagination and if not, how come Anna continues to have hallucinations with the mysterious Marnie). As Anna and Marnie begin to bond, Anna allows herself to find proper healing to her insecurities.

The last film I had seen from the same director, Hirosama Yonebayashi, was the underwhelming "Arrietty" so I had hesitated about seeing "When Marnie Was There". However I found a copy on my local bookstore so I decided to buy the DVD and after I saw "When Marnie Was There", I literally teared up. As the film got to the end, tears began to stream. I related to Anna in a way I hadn't and the twists and turns in "When Marnie Was There" were tragic and uplifting at the same time. I hadn't been as moved by a film by Studio Ghibli as I was since "Grave of the Fireflies" even though "When Marnie Was There" wasn't nearly as tragic.

Beautiful, vibrant colors, a relatable heroine, a touching score, "When Marnie Was There" is a gem worth watching. If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and have a box of Kleenex near since you'll need it.

Submitted February 11, 2018 at 12:24AM by Pedro645 http://ift.tt/2EVD9Qs