Mini Film Review – Suzume

I have just seen Suzume; and it was really, really, really, nice! Directed by Makoto Shinkai, and starring Nanoka Hara, Hokuto Matsumura, and Eri Fukatsu; Suzume is a Anime fantasy film, about a high school girl who meets a mysterious man, who is looking for doors to close, to prevent a cataclysmic event from happening. Much like his two previous films Your Name., and Weathering with You, Makoto Shinkai has created a film which tells a romantic story, but through the use of different genre’s. To this end we have a relatively high concept fantasy film, about a girl who goes on an epic quest, with a cat, and a talking chair. But, instead of losing our hero in a fantasy world, we go on an epic journey across the beautiful landscapes of Japan. And on this journey we meet a selection of characters, to help fuel the adventure, and spice up the drama. It’s interesting though how mundane these extraordinary characters are. We meet a tangerine delivery girl, and a mother of twins to name but a few, but these characters are both really cool, but also very strong characters, which in turn help to develop an already strong lead character. But whilst the journey and characters may be mundane, the fantasy world is not by a long shot. The first time you see the worm, it’s like watching the ending to Akira for the first time, but not just in visuals, but sound too. It captures the screen, and takes hold of your attention, and it doesn’t let up, keeping you hooked in throughout. But whilst all this fantasy is going on, we really delve deep and begin to unlock the rather traumatic history, of this seemingly ordinary lead character. And whilst the film is not necessarily a sad one, its hard not to begin to well up when the credits roll. It’s a really nice film, one that really captures the magic of the moment, and really states the importance of living life in the moment, which rather ironically, is right now, watching this near perfect film from start to finish!