The Secret World of Arrietty 借りぐらしのアリエッティ (2010)

The Secret World of Arrietty   

Japanese: 借りぐらしのアリエッティ

Romaji: Kari-gurashi no Arietti

Release Date: July 17^th, 2010 (Japan)

Running Time: 94 mins.

Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Writer: Hayao Miyazaki (Screenplay), Mary Norton (Original Novel)

Starring:  Saoirse Ronan (Arrietty), Tom Holland (Sho), Mark Strong (Pod), Olivia Colman (Homily),

Arrietty is Studio Ghibli’s adaptation of Mary Norton’s 1952 book, The Borrowers. Written and adapted for the screen by Hayao Miyazaki, the film is the directorial debut of long-time Studio Ghibli animator, Hiromasa Yonebayashi and it shows the sure confidence, wit and humanity at the core of every Ghibli film.

The film begins when Sho (Tom Holland) moves into his grandmother’s house in the Tokyo suburbs where a 14-year-old Borrower named Arrietty and her family live under the floorboards in a closet. Arrietty (Saoirse Ronan) is about to turn 14 herself and is eager to prove her worth by helping her father Pod (Mark Strong) “borrow” much-needed items from their human landlords but Sho discovers their existence. A relationship develops between Sho and Arrietty even though it puts the existence of the Borrowers’ in danger which means they must work together to protect the existence of Arrietty’s family from an over-zealous housekeeper named Haru. 

The first thing to note is that this film is gorgeous.