Shawna Burreson

(4.5 stars) After reading other reviews I find that I agree with nearly all of them, good and bad. Beautiful artistic masterpiece delving into an imaginative wonderland and touching upon a myriad of potent themes to ponder long after credits stop rolling. Magical. Transcendent. Emotive. I didn’t mind the slow pacing of the first half as I appreciate a movie that takes its time to develop characters and explore the settings, which in Miyazaki films are astonishingly detailed and beautiful landscapes, dwellings and time periods. (I do admit “resting my eyes” for a few minutes halfway through, though.) However, I just didn’t really connect with the boy as I did with Chihiro in Spirited Away or Sosuke in Ponyo or the sisters in Totoro. Perhaps it was because he was older, less innocent, and grieving the loss of his mother as well as normal life because of the war, producing a kind of very polite but brooding teenage angst. And the heron was—grotesque. There was also a scene that was, well, revolting, eliciting the kind of response typical of a slasher film. So it was not as enjoyable as other films, but I think that’s partly because I was expecting a boy/bird friendship from the title, while the original title How Do You Live? is much more fitting, and wouldn’t lead me to expect a heartwarming relationship. Thus it is not the film that is wrong here, as it is about war and loss as much as it is an Alice in Wonderland escapade into fantastical realms and spirits, offering thematic profundities and food for thought for years to come. What is wrong is the expectation of it. How many of us went into this movie with the highest of expectations? Taken on its own, it’s a masterful exercise in filmmaking. Holding it up to the greats of Miyaki’s catalog, however, one finds enough similarities to pinpoint exactly what beloved aspects of yore it is lacking. But I argue it doesn’t matter if it’s his “best” or not. Or a personal favorite. It’s a new Miyazaki dimension to explore. Enjoy the story for what it is, rather than lament what it is not. Chaotic, yes, but dense with meaning befitting of a spiritual journey to other realms. It may not have the heart of Totoro, because its heart has been broken. But meaningfulness, it has in spades. I recommend seeing it. You don’t have to love it. But do witness an unrivaled cinematic artist pouring his very full heart out, which can be as uncomfortable as it can be beautiful. This is a work of art that has something important to say, and will doubtlessly speak to future audiences to come, an accomplishment relatively few films can claim. Also, my two kids loved it.