SOMETIMES, AT CHRISTMAS, YOU WANT TO SHAKE THINGS UP A BIT : "MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO"

Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year. It has very little to do with the religious side of it. For as long as I remember my family has celebrated Christmas despite there being at least three different religions (not counting sub-divisions) and a whole slew of atheists in the mix. It’s an excuse to get together, eat, drink and exchange presents. I mean of course, all families are complicated and no doubt there is at least one family member you would have rather avoided until, oh I don’t know, next Christmas. Or the Christmas after that. But you have got to put those differences aside. It is the season of Peace and Love. And you just can’t get into fights over whether animated movies “count” or not over the dinner table – for some reason people seem to find it awkward…  Besides, it’s always good to not sweat the small stuff and let a bit of the season’s magic into your life. It has been a long year. It’s time to unplug and relax for a bit.

This is why I think that this film is, in a bizarre way, an ideal Christmas movie. It’s definitely for the whole family, it involves magic, wonder and all the good feelings you associate with Christmas. I mean ok, it’s an anime movie. Not what you would initially think of as a Christmas movie. But it is an anime classic, courtesy of Hayao Miyazaki, master of anime. Trust me, it’s worth giving a whirl. Let me try and convince you.

Satsuke and Mei  have just moved to the country. It’s a lovely old house with loads of nooks and crannies to explore. It’s a bit of a mixed bag as far as emotions go and the girls’ mother is very ill and has to be in hospital. But their Dad is doing his best to cheer them up and between exploring the surroundings and meeting their neighbours the girls have a lot to occupy their minds.  Speaking of neighbours, some of them are a little bit stranger than others. Satsuke isn’t quite sure what to make of her little sister’s claims of seeing a giant grey furry creature in the woods… But as time goes by she begins to realise that there are more to her little sisters’ claims than she initially thought… The question is what will happen when this magical world collides with the two sisters’ real world problems?

Now first of all, let me just say how happy I was to see this fellow on television as part of the Christmas season films! I love this huge international world we live in where cultural niblets from all over the world find their way into our living rooms. Granted, Miyazaki is about as big and international as it gets for anime; if you know one director it will probably be him and if you know one studio that specialises in anime it will be “his” studios – Ghibli. That said, I am confident that this may well be the first step of a voyage of discovery for some. Anime gets a bit of a bad rep. Well, sometimes this is justified. But come on, there are many “unsuitable” films out there – we don’t brand the entire film industry as “unsuitable” do we? My neighbour Totoro is a beautiful film with heart-warming characters that younger viewers with empathize with and that the “big kids” in the audience will simply adore. Just enough excitement and home again in time for tea. We have all the “trappings” of “big brand” animated entertainment but with some local flavour and a personal twist as opposed to the studio films we have grown to love but also anticipate down to the finest detail. I can personally guarantee this film will be a welcome addition to the film cabinet of anyone who wants to take a step away from the every day. A small step. But just enough J  

AND LASTLY, SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT : "PONYO ON THE CLIFFS BY THE SEA"

Well, we have covered a pretty large spectrum as far as animations are concerned this week. Computer animation, stop-motion animation, adaptations from a favorite story book and completely original stories… So I feel personally that skipping “anime”s would be something almost tantamount to a crime. I have mentioned on many previous occasions that I love animes. And since this is famous director Hayao Miyazaki’s latest work, well… You have to take a gander… Chances are you have heard of it already actually, this one has become rather famous, but anyway, here we go for the ones who haven’t…
This story is actually an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s story, The Little Mermaid. Ponyo is a little fish who lives under the sea with her father Fujimoto who is a sorcerer. Fujimoto doesn’t particularly like humans, an understandable predicament considering what we’ve done to the seas of the world but I digress. Ponyo is young, and she wants to see the world. Thus, she escapes and is captured by a five year old boy called Sosuke. Now, when I say young, I mean it, Ponyo is the same age as Sosuke. And the boy and fish become very attached to each other very quickly. Ponyo is adamant she will turn into a little girl and be Sosuke’s proper girlfriend. But there is a problem. By leaving the sea to live on the land Ponyo has upset the entire balance of the planet. Is there a way to save both the planet and Ponyo’s happiness? Or will Ponyo have to go back to being another “fish in the sea”? (Ho ho ho)
Ponyo is, in a word, adorable. Absolutely sweet. The DVD cover tells us “Welcome to a world where everything is possible”. I can’t think of any better way to describe the world of Miyazaki. But when we say magic, don’t go thinking Lord Of The Rings or something. No, here magic is, well, not less grand but less showy. The details of the film are wonderful and there is a story in every single detail. I don’t know, but it may be the fact that every frame is actually hand drawn that gives the film itself such a unique spirit. I love anime and Miyazaki but was not sure before I started this one. People around me have fallen in love with Ponyo to such a degree that I couldn’t help feeling as if she was some sort of fad. I don’t like fads. I appear to also be a person of very little faith. Ponyo is as sweet and as original as any Ghibli creation. I mean sure, there are some rather obvious messages about pollution. But fair is fair, the messages are correct, so I reckon the best thing to do is to grit one’s teeth and bare it with good grace.

MORE CARTOONS ANYONE? TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED : "SPIRITED AWAY"

I want to give a shout to all my fellow “otaku” s out there! Now, for those of you who aren’t in the “know”, Otaku is a term used for an “anime” fan. Animes as you may or may not know are Japanese animated films and series. They follow a certain style have zillions of sub-categories and trillions of fans… Well not trillions but a goodly number, anyway. The only thing is that liking anime is considered the height of “nerdliness” in polite society and “otaku”s, the hardcore fans are at the top of the pyramid or lowest on the food chain depending on which angle you look at it from. Now, my knowledge of “anime” ain’t what it should be but I am a fan. Ooh yes. And there are some films that deserve world acclaim whether you’re an otaku or not… Among these gems (not little ones; think diamonds the size of your head) are the works of Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki. His drawings are truly magnificent, the stories imaginative and magical… He founded Gibli Studios and along with other brilliant artists they continue to churn out one work of art after the other) Not all of these reach a wider audience of course but “Spirited Away” most certainly did, winning awards all the world round and alerting quite a slice of the population to the existence of the genre… It’s a classic by a classic director, and I reckon if we’re doing “extraordinary cartoons” it sure deserves its place in the archives. And besides, if you’re looking for an introduction to anime, you won’t get a better one than this…
Chihiro is a little girl, and she is NOT happy. She and her parents are moving to a new city and she is not looking forward to getting used to a new school there. What starts off as an innocent stop on the way at a seemingly abandoned fairground turns dangerous however when they come across an open but unattended food store. Her parents tuck in at once and… Turn into pigs! Chihiro is terrified, because the sun goes down and the whole place comes to life exposing a magic bathhouse (remember, Japan is full of public bathhouses, going to one is considered quite everyday and normal) run by an evil witch and other magical creatures. The bathhouses are for the various spirits and gods (remember that spirits of rivers and forests along with various other gods are common in Japan too) and the only way to survive in this magical world (unless you have eaten some of the magic food and turned into a pig – in which case you get eaten incidentally) without disappearing (literally) is to find work in the bathhouse and “legitimize” your existence there if you will… Luckily a mysterious boy named Haku shows her the ropes and she starts work in the bathhouse, however she is determined this is not the end of matters. She will find a way of getting the better of the owner of the bathhouse, save her parents and return to her own world no matter what it takes…
Now, I don’t need to spell this out to you but this is pure, unadulterated escapism. And the great thing about animes is… They’re Japanese! As in they are not the Western stuff we enjoy, but are quite used to. Think of it as having a curry or sushi. You crave a change. You like eating exotic food. OK, you don’t eat it the whole time, but oh boy, do you love it when it comes along. These, I always find, are a double dose of escapism. Firstly you are swept up into a magical world, far, far away from all your daily strife… And secondly, although the world you step into has some “footholds” from the real world (they have to if you think about it) well, they’re from a culture you hardly know! I mean maybe you know a lot about Japan but even so it’s a culture you don’t live in (I’m assuming you’re a “Westener”) and don’t experience every day. The end result is you feel as if you ‘re catapulted to another planet for hours, you enjoy yourself thoroughly then come back to earth refreshed and renewed. All for the price of movie ticket /DVD. Don’t be shy now, step right in… You surely don’t have to be cool the WHOLE time… =)