Ponyo
Miyazaki's latest film was completely hand-animated, and its humanity showed in each frame. The story, like many of Miyazaki's, does not conform to "Western" standards of story logic or satisfying narrative progression, but feels more original and in many ways more "childlike". I'm sure that if I saw this movie as a child I wouldn't have the problems with the plot that I do now. I am trying to watch movies like this with more of the mind of a child, but it will take time. That being said, this film did not fail to delight me. The visuals were beautiful as always with Miyazaki, and the characters were memorable. This is the first Miyazaki film that I have watched with an English dub, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the voice acting. The fact that the film was totally hand-animated was very apparent. I believe that the lack of computer-aided effects contributed to the wonderfully hand-made feeling of all the ocean animation. What a spectacular interpretation of a storming sea!
Fantastic Mr. Fox
I had expected to love this film but came out disappointed. I typically love stop-motion animation but I don't feel that this film utilized the technique in the wonderful ways other films have. Perhaps it wasn't the animation that was the problem but the lack of something to grab me—a narrative "hook". The characters were not interesting enough on their own, so the plot itself needed to drive the film, which it did not. I never had a sense of curiosity or excitement—I never felt any narrative momentum. I did admire the simplicity and hand-made quality of the film but there just wasn't enough substance in the story itself to interest me.
The Lovely Bones
I was interested to see this film both because it was a big departure from Peter Jacksons' normal fare and because it inspired such extreme responses. My impression of the film is that it is essentially confused, torn between opposing impulses. Actually, there are three opposing impulses, each associated with one of the film's three storylines. First, you have Suzie Salmon's post-death experiences, the weakest portion of the film; then, her family's attempt to move past the grief of her death; and third, the inner life of her killer. Suzie's storyline did not work at all in concert with the other two, and the second two portions did not fit together that well either. The most interesting part of the film by far was the exploration of the killer's inner world. This was haunting on a level I haven't experienced on film for quite a while. Stanley Tucci's acting here was superb. I've read some reviews that fault Jackson for not showing Suzie's death, but I thought that particular choice worked quite well. The surreal bathroom scene in which Suzie realizes that she is dead was extremely well crafted and terrifying on a level that won't let me forget it any time soon. The family story line was decent but didn't really seem to go anywhere. Suzie's portion of the film was marred by its tone (too preachy and sentimental) and its overwrought digital effects. It would have worked much better if staged without the use of CGI, using the real world as its material. Overall, I think much more subtlety was needed to translate this story to film than Jackson afforded it. That being said, the film was not a complete disaster and the fact that it has stuck in my mind with some intensity points to that fact.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
This was a terrific film, filled with great performances and plenty of food for thought. As I was watching it, I realized how much all scenes involving mental institutions filmed since owe a tremendous debt to this film. Each of the characters was memorable and not overstated. My growing anger at the head nurse and at the overall methods of the institution showed me how well this film let forth its cry against the kind of harmful authoritarianism practiced by the institution. The end, in which the Indian chief finally escapes, was a classic cinematic moment.
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