If We're Seen, We Have To Leave: The Secret World of Arriety (2010)

Studio Ghibli is essentially a flawless company that has only gained a larger global acclaim with the help of Disney and the douchy shirt wearing John Lasseter.  While the handful of anime films released by this Disney subsidiary certainly have their father company to thank it is clear that most of the credit for their success should be directed to Hayao Miyazaki, the now aging director of anime classics such as Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away.  While Miyazaki has stepped down from the directors seat he was present as a writer, and, undoubtedly, as an advisor on Studio Ghibli's most recent offering, The Secret World of Arrietty which is based off the British novel The Borrowers written by Mary Norton some sixty years earlier.  While The Secret World of Arrietty is nowhere close to Miyazaki's masterpiece Howl's Moving Castle it is a clear work of art and a solid example of the cinematic possibilities of animation, a fact that many film critics still seem hesitant to embrace.  Like many of Studio Ghibli's other offerings, The Secret World of Arrietty is both accessible, yet quite broad in its commentary and philosophical pondering, and with the exception of the work of Satoshi Kon, I have trouble thinking of another anime director who is as concerned with the simplest of details in their work.  A key animator, under the tutelage of Miyazaki, it is clear that the films director Hiromasa Yonebayashi is prepared to take the reigns for the now well-respected Studio Ghibli and I know for one that I am excited at the future prospects.

As is the case with many works tied to Miyazaki, the film concerns itself with the experiences of particularly young individuals, however, these youth are rarely offered world situations that are remotely possible in the physical realm and often rely on worlds of magic and make believe for their existence.  The Secret World of Arrietty one such film as it focuses on the life of the title character Arrietty who is, along with her mother Homily and father Pod, a Borrower.  Borrowers are miniature versions of human beings that borrow small items from humans that they can live without missing, such as thread, needles, sugar and tissue.  It is their belief that they must remain out of the sight of humans because to be spotted by humans would assure their destruction, because as Pod make clear, their curiosity would lead them to ruin the Borrower lifestyle.  Arrietty seems set to abide by these rules and looks forward to her time as Borrower, until she is spotted accidentally by a human named Shawn.  Shawn despite being very calm in his approaches, given an life-threatening heart disease, is dismissed by Arrietty who assures him that no good can come of their interactions.  Arrietty's reservations are assured when Shawn's aunt becomes obsessed with catching the Borrowers, because she has been living in seclusion for years after public mocking for her previous claims of spotting such creatures.  As such, she hires exterminators to catch the Borrowers, much to the dismay of Shawn.  Realizing the impossibilities of unity, Shawn sets out to help Arrietty and her family move from the house to a new location and luckily, the task is made considerably easier by Arrietty's father running into another borrower, who provides guidance to a new location in a more urban area of Japan.  Both Arrietty and Shawn part with sorrow in their heart, yet they realize that their summer will represent a lasting memory in their lives of something magical and sentimental.  It is heartbreaking, but in a way that reminds viewers of the possibility of good in humanity.

When I reviewed Paprika awhile back I made note of the problems technology presented to women's relationship in society.  I argued that through objectification and disconnect women were oppressed on at least a theoretical level.  When referencing this, it is interesting to discover that the worlds of not only this film, but most other Studio Ghibli films place women in a rather progressive place.  Arrietty is an independent girl who desperately desires to carve her own path in the world and clearly dismisses the notions of domesticity pushed forcefully by her mother.  This is a theme that manifests itself in other Ghibli works, most notably in Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away.  Even the males within these works diverge from gender norms, Pod is a masculine in his demeanor, but is clearly an affectionate and loving father, while Shawn is in tune with his emotional side and promotes unity over the possibility of oppressive power.  In fact, it is clear that this film, as well as others from the studio, suggest that such traditions of gender are problematic and often only reside in the minds of an older generation.  With this in mind, a character like the aunt within the film are more understandable as villains, not only does she represent someone out to destroy the Borrowers, but she also wishes to maintain traditional gender norms as well.  It is interesting as well to compare this character to say the work of Ozu, in which gender mores were propagated by an aging male figure, in many Miyazaki films the paternal oppressor is not only not present, but rarely acknowledged.  All is not perfect in these films though, as they often end with the suggestion that the characters have found some sort of heteronormative relationship to engage in, this is certainly the case in The Secret World of Arrietty, as Arrietty is shown in the closing credits accepting a gift from Spiller, a male Borrower who has shown interest in her.  Problematic for sure these images must be criticized, however, as a whole the film does question gender roles and their apparent concreteness.  It suggests a possibility for fluidity and the evolution from an older ignorant tradition.

While The Secret World of Arrietty has been out in Japan for nearly two years, it is only now completing its U.S. theatrical run and it is certainly worth checking out in theaters.  It was my first anime theatrical viewing and the fully realized world of Arriety pours off the screen beautifully.  Also, I have to agree with my girlfriend on how awesome Arriety's room is in the film.

L.A. Is A Small Town, People Talk: Chinatown (1974)

Classic films are classic, because something separates them from being a normal movie.  In some instances, it is a single cinematic moment as is the case with Casablanca.  In other films it is for a memorable character, as is the case with Charles Foster Kane...and some movies are just plain gorgeous as every Kurosawa film shows.  In the even rarer instance a classic film is a hybrid of all these elements and becomes something grander and larger than simply being cinema, and in its wake, everything a viewer knows about movies changes.  Chinatown is one such movie.  I swore, prior to seeing this film, that I had seen the film noir genre done in every possible variety and that nothing could change its image in my mind.  I should have expected this to change upon approaching a film by Roman Polanski, because it too was he who changed my understanding of horror films through his infamous classic Rosemary's Baby.  Ideally, I would blog some startling new revelations about Chinatown, but instead I am simply going to dote on its wonders whilst offering a few thoughts that could loosely be considered theoretic criticism.

Chinatown, as many noir films do, begins with the introduction of a protagonist private investigator named J.J. Gittes (Jack Nicholson) who is reeling in cash from his most recent expose on a philandering wife.  It is only moments after this event that Gittes is approached by a woman claiming to be the wife of a prominent politician.  She requests Gittes servicesto investigate her suspicions concerning her husbands possible affair.  Reluctantly, Gittes agrees to pursue the investigation, only to discover that the woman's husband is not engaging in acts of infidelity, but instead is spending his time moping around dried up river beds.  Gittes out of equal parts desire and dedication to his job continues to investigate the man and discovers a plot much larger than extramarital affairs and certainly larger than his small time private investigation firm can handle.  Gittes quickly becomes involved in a murder plot that is fueled by greedy politicians and capitalist businessmen who desire wealth even in the face of destroying the natural world.  Amidst all this madness, Gittes finds himself becoming equally attracted to the "wife" of the man he is investigating, who is played brilliantly by Faye Dunnaway, only to discover that even she hides her own disturbingly dark secrets.  Ultimately, Gittes and the other characters are left disillusioned and stuck in Chinatown, realizing that their own faults and mundane activities are inherently meaningless in the face of corruption and death at the hands of those lacking any sense of "moral decency."

I could expand extensively on the green commentary of the film and its overt concern with pollution, but that would be too easy and it has been done already.  I instead want to focus on what helps Chinatown subvert the film noir tradition.  The first element of its subversion comes in the character of Gittes.  Even in the grittiest of traditional noir films, the protagonist proves to have some set of ethics to live by.  The Sam Spades of tradition film noir would bend over backwards to adhere to some code of ethics that meant saving women and not backstabbing their friends.  Gittes is not this type of individual; he is relentless in his endeavors and exploits those around him with the intent of advancing his own cause which is always at the most basic level personal.  Similarly, Faye Dunnaway's character is far from the traditional image of a femme fatale, often sexual and always vampiric, Dunnaway's performance as Evelyn Mulwray is that of a very insecure women who instead of using the protagonist as a stepping stone for personal advancement, chooses to fall in love with him making the spiderlike qualities of a traditional femme fatale futile.  Finally, and most obviously, is the film's setting.  Every film noir, with the exception of a few pseudo-western film noirs, is set in the city amidst skyscrapers and back alleys.  A majority of this film takes place by water and at the most extreme in suburbs, even take a short detour to a large estate housing retired persons.  It is the unlikeliest of settings for a noir film and it should be notable that only the films tragic closing on the streets of Chinatown does the scenery resemble a traditional noir film.  This scene choice makes closing scenes emphasis on Gittes arbitrary existence all the more relevant as the camera pans out to show the faces of countless other individuals moving through their rather mundane lives.  In essence, Chinatown completely subverts the traditional film noir genre only to return to it in the closing scenes, as a reminder that no matter how different or intriguing a story may be, it is still a single story that exists in a sea of other narratives that are insurmountable.

Chinatown is a classic and deservedly so, I strongly recommend purchasing this movie.  I would say get the masterpiece on Blu-ray, but apparently nobody has found it necessary to transfer it yet.  Until then a DVD copy should suffice, and try not to become to enthralled with Nicholson in this movie...trust me, it won't be easy.

Everyone Knows Monsters Prefer Blondes: The Toxic Avenger (1984)

There are movies that are ungodly bad, so bad that you shutter at the thought of watching them, yet cannot help but love them.  The Room, Plan Nine From Outerspace, Reefer Madness and even Evil Dead.  In the same vein is the gore-filled, nausea inducing social criticism that is The Toxic Avenger.  I have many bad movies, but to be honest this one lives in its own world.  A cross between a drug PSA and an awkward low budget porn film, The Toxic Avenger starts terrible and only gets exponentially worse.  With that being said I still thought it was an amazing movie...for being self-aware mess.  I laughed at the film out of confusion and befuddlement and was thrown for a few plot loops, which was a surprise given its rather trite narrative.  Ignoring the moment of blackface and perpetual misogyny throughout, The Toxic Avenger is terribly mind numbing.

The plot focuses on a town named Tromaville that is literally decaying in its own filth, whether it is from the ever expanding landfill, beligerent sex-crazed youth, or the corrupt local government.  In fact, the only character with any sense of decency is the local janitor Melvin (Mark Torgl) whose awkward demeanor and unflattering looks make him the butt of everyone's jokes.  One day a group of youth take their mocking a bit too far and chase Melvin around the local gym leading him to jump out a window in a panic, landing in a vat of toxic waste in the process.  Melvin's body sets aflame and begins to boil, yet the kids only laugh at this assuming it to be another level to Melvin's goofy ways.  The film eventually leads to a crime scene in which a group of thugs attempts to berate the one good cop in the entire city, at the point in which it appears that the cop is done for, a large green beast of a person appears to save him.  The thugs assume this entity to be nothing and attempt to fight it, quickly realizing that this creature is immune to all forms of physical attacks.  After defeating this group, leaving only their corpses and mops in the wake, the monster makes papers as the new law enforcement for a town void of justice.  The town even begins wearing shirts that say "I Heart The Monster Hero."  It is not until the monster comes to meet a blind girl named Julie (Cindy Manion) that the creature's identity is revealed.  The monster is none other than the janitor Melvin whose out to with an unquenchable thirst to end bad actions, and to seek revenge to those who mocked him.  The film follows suit in these terms, having The Toxic Avenger face off against the crime-ridden town, eventually coming face to face with The National Guard who decides to spare the monsters life when they realize the monster is in love with a blind girl.  The film ends on a high note positing that The Toxic Avenger will protect the town for years to come, or for at least three more sequels.

I noted the social critique present within The Toxic Avenger as being rather obvious.  While I would be hesitant to applaud such blatant use of imagery to make a social statement, I am making an exception for The Toxic Avenger.  I would instead suggest to others that this film makes a great tool to teach your skeptical friends about film criticism.  In the past few years, I have had many people comment on the implausibility of film as a medium for social critique.  Now do not get me wrong, some films do lack critical value (Think Michael Bay), but are rewarding in artistic elements or pure enjoyment.  The Toxic Avenger certainly doesn't possess the later, but is saturated with the former.  The film was made in the mid-80's a time in which American face increasing urbanization, a growing drug problem and a continuing severance of the nuclear family.  This film is a reflection of that, even if the mirror is a bit grimy and shattered.  It is arguably similar to Spike Lee or Martin Scorsese's films of the era, but without the same budget or maturity.  The idea that the film posits about cleaning up America is obvious and easily accessible, making it a perfect segue film for those burgeoning film critics you may no, and even if they are unable to grasp it after this film, at least you got them to sit through one of the most bizarre movies in existence.  I guess the idea here is to share it for its message, not for its artistic value.

I cannot full out recommend this film to readers, although I plan to get myself a VHS copy as soon as possible.  However, if you like the bizarre, and are a fan of B-movie sloshfests then I would suggest getting a copy of the film in any media form available, it visually will not make a difference, it is a rare gem that is only improved by outdated technology.