Movie - When Marnie was there

Movie - When Marnie was there   

Original title : Omoide no Mânî

Score : 7/10 
Year :  2014
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi & James Simone
Cinematography: Atsushi Okui
Music:  Takatsugu Muramatsu 
Country: Japan. USA 
Language: Japanese.  
Duration:  1h43 
Writers:   Keiko Niwa, Masashi Ando & Hiromasa Yonebayashi (Screenplay)  ; 

Joan G. Robinson (based on novel by)

Full cast & team (IMDB)

Based on a 1967 eponymous novel by Joan G. Robinson, When Marnie was there follows Anna, 12 years old. Suffering from asthma, she is sent to stay with relatives of her guardian in a town in Kushiro wetlands, Hokkaido. She likes to be alone and sketch. On her wandering around, she comes across a nearby abandoned mansion, where she meets Marnie, a mysterious girl who asks her to promise to keep their secrets from everyone.

As the summer progresses, Anna spends more time with Marnie, and eventually learns more about this mysterious friend, but also about herself. 

I can relate to Anna's introvert nature, her anxiety around large crowds, and the desire to stay away from everyone, to concentrate on something on my own.  She feels inadequate and that she doesn't belong with anyone around her, feelings that change simultaneously with her growth. 

There is a mix of surprising elements, and also very predictable ones - I'll let you discover them by yourselves, as once the truths are known, surprises are over, but so is to movie. 

The pacing was overall very good, and the music accompanies the story quite well - often a bit melancholic, always unobtrusive and part of the movie, though it doesn't shine on its own. 

Its art is quite superb, from landscapes, to food, especially watermelon and beefstake tomatoes that appear very realistic ;  water, ripples, reflections are beautiful ; the two main characters' expressions are just wonderfully shown ; there is a key scene with the mansion windows that is absolutely gorgeously done, and a very Orson Wells style camera angle during another scene.. these are only some of the artwork praises that I can make! 

Being a family movie, nothing graphic is ever shown, so your kids can watch it too. 

When Marnie was there is touching, and though its resolution may disappoint some expectations from earlier in the movie, I still liked it and only find that once this ending is known, re-watching the movie isn't planned any time soon, because there's be absolutely no mystery. 

It remains entertaining and visually beautiful. 

For voice acting, see the full casting already linked to imdb in the specs section above.