The Secret World of Arrietty Review

Few animation studios other than Pixar have a track record as strong as that of Studio Ghibli. The Japanese animation house has produced some of the most wonderful and touching animated films in the history of the medium, with classics such as Spirited Away, Porco Rosso, Grave of the Fireflies and Princess Mononoke among its illustrious filmography.

Now the studio has turned to Mary Norton's classic children's book The Borrowers for its latest film, The Secret World of Arrietty. While it isn't quite as grand in scope as some of the movies listed above, it's still a lovely film with a gentle soul that is made in a way that only Studio Ghibli can produce.

Arrietty Clock is a spirited young girl who lives with her parents within the floorboards and cracks of large estate home in the country. No, this isn't an Inglourious Basterds-type situation. Arrietty and her parents are Borrowers – a miniscule race of people who survive by living below humans and 'borrowing' the things that they're unlikely to miss. A cube of sugar here and a piece of cheese there are just enough for this family to stay alive and out of harm's way.

The Clock family have been living in the same spot for years and have grown comfortable of their little home. Being a restless teenage girl that yearns for adventure, Arrietty begs her parents to go on a scavenging mission with her father. Her mother begrudgingly allows her to go, and soon the father and daughter set off to round up some supplies. Arrietty accidently comes face to face with a sick, human boy named Sho that has just moved into the home, and while she tries to avoid his ensuing attempts to make contact with her, eventually the lonely pair forms a friendship. It's not long however, before Sho's cruel caretaker cottons on to these tiny house-crashers and the family's sanctuary gets turned upside down.

The world of the Borrowers is quite adorable, with many of the cute, little touches that are a hallmark of Studio Ghibli's films littered througout. It's impossible to watch Arrietty's mother pour singular drops of tea that fill entire miniature teacups and not feel your heart go all warm. Same goes for the sewing pin that Arrietty uses as a sword. Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi uses scale to great effect, and it gives the film a wondrous sense of charm.

Part of the reason that Arrietty works so well is due to how vulnerable the characters of the Clock family are, and the way that the film has you constantly worrying about their safety. They're so tiny and fragile that you can't help but feel for them when Sho's caretaker starts trying to uproot their whole existence. A lot of it is due to the well-realised and likeable characters, and the actors bringing them to life.


It must be noted that the version I watched was had a U.K. English dubbing, featuring wonderful performances from accomplished actors Saoirse Ronan as Arrietty, Mark Strong as her father, Olivia Colman as her mother and Tom Holland as Sho. It has come to my attention that the U.S. version will receive its own dubbing featuring American accents, with comedic actors such as Will Arnett and Amy Poehler standing in for Arrietty's parents. I have no idea what that version is like, but I must say that if pressed to think of who Mark Strong's American counterpart might be, the last person I would ever think of is Will Arnett.

It's kind of puzzling that a second English dub has been created for the film, but having not seen the other version I can't begin to comment on whether it was necessary. If I were to have a guess, I would say that these comedic actors were brought in to make the film a bit funnier and more energetic, but that would just a guess.

Complementing the film is a rich and beautiful score by Cecile Corbel, which perfectly encapsulates the feeling of the film. It is moving and stirring, and will hopefully not be forgotten come awards time. It's really that good.

Much like a lot of the characters it portrays, this is a slight film. While just as enchanting and lovely as you'd expect from Studio Ghibli, Arrietty's story is of a smaller scale. This isn't a story about dragons or spirits or other fantastical elements – it's more traditional. It's a quiet and small story about a blossoming friendship. While this is a deeply rewarding film, people with short attention spans might not get as much out of it. Those willing to let these wonderful little characters into their hearts however, will find a film they won't soon forget.

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