Arrietty

Arrietty – Young Arrietty is getting ready for her first Borrowing. Like others of her kind, she is tiny and lives inside the walls and floors of a human house, unseen. But when trying to bring home a sugar cube with her father she is spotted by a sickly child. With her family’s way of life under threat, will Arrietty have to leave the only home she has ever known?

Arrietty (2010) – Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Rating: U

Running Length: 94 mins

Starring: (English Language Dub: Saoirse Ronan, Tom Holland, Mark Strong)

Genre: Animated, Drama, Fantasy

REVIEW: ‘ARRIETTY’

Based on the book ‘The Borrowers’ by Mary Norton, ‘Arrietty’ (or ‘The Secret World of Arrietty’ in some territories) is a small-scale story in every sense, although no less a delight from those Japanese masters of animation: Studio Ghibli.

Plot wise there isn’t a lot to discuss. Arrietty lives with her mother and father inside the walls and floors of a human house and they borrow whatever they need to get by. Arrietty’s young naiveté gets her spotted and once the curiosity of humans is piqued, the world of the little interlopers is in danger. Bare bones storytelling, however, makes for a very simple appeal for younger viewers and whilst the narrative isn’t as layered or nuanced as other Ghibli movies, what Arrietty does well is pour love and soul into each frame.

First time Ghibli director, Yonebayashi, makes sure the movie is full of lingering shots enjoying the clashing scales of items and events. Drops of water hang huge and weighty; taking a tissue out of a box is a two person job; insects chitter along with hefty thumps, and Arrietty’s use of every day items (like a sewing needle wielded like a spear) gives things that children would perhaps see on a daily basis a satisfying heft when seen from smaller eyes. The animation is gorgeous throughout.

There are actually two English language dubs: one with American voices and one with English. The version we saw was the English dub which had solid and engaging performances. Tom Holland’s sickly Shō was somewhat muted and nondescript, lacking any range to really engage the role, but otherwise Mark Strong’s stoic father figure versus Olivia Coleman’s wailing mother are fun counterpoints and complements to Arrietty’s determination.

A simple and small tale but a delight nonetheless, ‘Arrietty’ shows that even when scaling things back, Ghibli can still deliver delightfully engaging movies for all ages.

CONTENT: IS ‘ARRIETTY’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

A cat chases Arrietty through the garden. It snarls and spits at her as she escapes through a grate and pushes its face hard against the bars. However Arrietty isn’t scared and there is upbeat music as this happens.

Arrietty’s mother, Homily, is highly strung and very stressed at the prospect at potentially having to move house and looks and sounds very upset when talking aloud about it.

A crow crashes head first into a window screen. It’s head bursts through and is stuck but the rest of its body is outside. It caws loudly and flaps frantically – shedding feathers. Arrietty is thrashed around holding on to its leg. The crow is then hit on the head several times with a slipper until it is dislodged. It doesn’t appear to feel this or suffer because of it.

It is revealed that the young boy, Shō, has a heart condition and is weak; his mother is verbally described as having left a ‘sick child pre operation’. Another character muses, ‘I suppose divorce is inevitable’.

Another character is introduced who is used to living outside. He uses a bow and arrow which he displays for Arrietty and her family and scares her mother a little. He refuses the offer of dinner and produces a cricket’s leg from his coat. Arrietty’s mother shudders in disgust.

As seen from the point of view of inside, the roof is slowly ripped off Arrietty’s house whilst her mother is there. It causes the whole house to shake and for things to crash off shelves. Homily is terrified and wails, shaking. She tries to escape through a door but it won’t open. This lasts around a minute before it becomes clear what is happening and she calms down.

In a conversation outside with Shō, Arrietty is told that she is probably a ‘doomed species’. She considers this in frustration but is upset and angered by the prospect. However, Shō goes on to discuss his own mortality, saying that they will operate on him but it is hopeless.

The roof of Arrietty’s home is again taken off. This time we see it from outside so it is shown like simply removing a lid. However, the point of view looks down on the tiny Homily who is so scared she is frozen to the spot – shaking and wailing. She is picked up between fingertips and held up to face level whilst the person who has lifted her gloats. She is held, trapped, in her captors hands and then placed in a glass jar with a cling film lid (poked with air holes) and hidden in the larder.

One character calls in pest control / exterminators. It is unclear whether the actual intention is to kill Arrietty and her family but this is implied. There are several scenes where pest control is called, first to book them and then to direct them to the house (and then chase them up). However, nothing graphic is discussed.

Shō runs which causes him pain with his heart. He gets out breath very quickly and sweats a lot. He facially winces once he gets into the kitchen.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘ARRIETTY’ FOR KIDS?

The Secret World of Arrietty is ideally designed to be a wonder for children. With a simple to follow storyline, sumptuous visuals full of familiar every day items but seen in a completely different way, and a minimal amount of distress or concern, Arrietty is a safe bet for children of all ages.

• Violence: 1/5 (the cat is initially determined to get Arrietty. A few moments of fighting off insects albeit more just batting them away with little conflict)
• Emotional Distress: 2/5 (Homily is highly strung and is very scared at points)
• Fear Factor: 1/5 (the loudness of the crow scene might scare some children)
• Sexual Content: 0/5
• Bad Language: 0/5
• Dialogue: 1/5 (frank talk about serious illness and the seeming lack of potential for survival of Arrietty’s kind)
• Other Notes: Deals with themes of co-existence, debilitating illness, parental abandonment, borrowing things, judging by appearance, self-survival, and capturing what you don’t understand for gain)

Words by Mike Record

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