This is Hayao Miyazaki's latest film project, "The Secret World of Arrietty," and once again I'm impressed and taken aback by the emotional layering he can bring to a simple relationship between a little person (aka "a borrower") and a sickly young boy, Arrietty and Shawn.The film overall is not my favorite of his works, but I just wanted to commend Miyazaki for some beautiful sequences he does, such as the beginning with Arrietty's first "borrowing" expedition at night. You can see the obstacles that a little person has to go through, how the simple task of getting sugar in the kitchen involves spelunking, rock-climbing, and being quick on your feet with unfriendly bugs.
There isn't much action in the film, as it mostly takes place inside a house, but the artwork and intricate details that Miyazaki places inside the walls of that house makes things intriguing to the viewer. You see things from the little persons' perspective, similar to that 90s film "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" but in animation. I also loved the slow, delicate moments between Arrietty and Shawn as they slowly begin to understand each others' place in that simple world. Shawn begins to see Arrietty and the Borrowers as people rather than just secretive little creatures, and it's an amazing transformation to watch onscreen.
Overall, a great film to watch for the sake of storytelling.
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