My roommate and I watch a movie every Friday for bonding time, and while we usually watch movies we’ve both seen and love, this week she got to choose the movie and it was “Whisper of the Heart” which I have never seen before. This movie was really good and I had a great time watching it. It is definitely a worthy addition to my animated movies, and movies in general.
The story is about a young girl named Shizuku. She leads a very normal life and loves books. All of this mediocrity changes when she finds a cat on the subway and follows him to a unique shop. Here she discovers a interesting cat statue named The Baron, and a boy named Seiji, who checks out all the books she does according to the book cards. The story progresses to a point where Shizuku discovers her true talents and begins to work toward achieving her dream.
This movie is awesome for many reasons. First, the story is very good. It is so realistic, yet moving and innovative. The ending is absolutely beautiful (no spoilers here) and the moral of the story is very inspirational and encourages the watcher to try to achieve greatness. I also love the characters because of the depth of their emotions. Whether it is Shizuku’s tears of frustration over the work she is putting toward her dream or her friend’s embarrassment over the boy she likes. The minor characters have just as much to contribute as the main characters and I think that is really important. Their behaviors really contribute to your emotional experience. There are times when you cry because of an old man’s lost love, and times when you can’t stop smiling as two kindred souls reunite on a winter morning.
Needless to say, the art is absolutely beautiful, as expected of Studio Ghibli. There are particularly awe-inspiring moments, including light reflecting in a precious stone, a beautiful scene of the sun rising over clouds, and all of Shizuku’s story dream sequences, which take place in magnificent settings with floating landmasses and sprawling cities. I couldn’t take my eyes of the backgrounds because of the amount of detail. Even when Shizuku was just walking down the street, every house, bush, and flower was perfectly detailed and colored.
This movie absolutely delighted me and I recommend it fully. I enjoyed this movie so much I’m going to have to give it a 5/5 because I could watch it over and over. It is truly a masterful work of art.
HOORAY! FIVE OUT OF FIVE! IT’S BECAUSE IT IS GLORIOUS!!
I was like hmmm…. WORTH IT. I gave FMAB a 5/5 too, but I don’t just throw those things out. THEY EARNED THEM
I KNOW I KNOW