When Marnie Was There: Thoughts (Spoiler Free)

I feel so lucky to live in this era where films like this are being created. As viewers and fans of film, we are truly fortunate to have Studio Ghibli. When Marnie Was There is a film that truly moved me to the core of my being. This film has made me feel a way that I simply have not felt in a really long time. I think the word ‘euphoric’ springs to mind but I’m not sure if any word can be really used to justify how this film moved me. A lot of people consider that animated films are made for children but I think that for an adult this film can provide a lot as well. Let’s dive in.

Let’s just talk about the infrastructure of this film. It looked and sounded great. The colours were vibrant and popped off the screen, it reminded me of a Wes Anderson film. The sound was amazing too, not just the music but the sound effects. I loved the sound of Anna (the main character) stepping through puddles of water. The acting was great too. It’s hard to portray emotion through animations because sometimes the animation and actor don’t sync up well in terms of appearance and the type of emotion coming from the actor. However in this film, I believed everything. When the characters were saying emotionally charged lines I felt it, I even watched this in the original Japanese dub and I loved it.

I truly believed in these characters. I put my faith into wanting all of these characters to develop. The hardest thing to do in film, is to persuade viewers into buying into characters and this film did just that. From beginning to end you wanted happiness for Anna and Marnie. The moment Anna met Marnie, I was intrigued in Marnie and her life. The characters in this movie are just so great and I cannot reiterate how much I bought into these characters.

At the end of every Studio Ghibli film, a sense of relief or happiness should be felt and I think across all Studio Ghibli films I felt the most satisfaction out of this ending. It was unpredictable, it tied up everything so well together, it was pleasing to the characters and the fans. This ending was fantastic and although the plot line was confusing, the ending makes the film so much better than what it is.

I really cannot stress how much I freaking loved this film. It made me feel something in my heart that I haven’t felt in a long time. I was genuinely moved and am deeply saddened by the hiatus of Studio Ghibli’s film department. However, I am so glad that this is the last Ghibli film. I cannot wait to have children,, or just somebody important to share this film with. This film is so fantastic and I cannot stop thinking about it, even at 2 in the morning.