When Marnie Was There [DVD] [2014] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

I'm starting to build up quite a collection of studio ghibli movies and this is absolutely right up there with my top favourites such as Spirited Away, Kiki & Howls moving castle. The story is beautiful and the characters are especially lovable and seem so real. I've only had this around a week and I've already watched it twice.It's so relaxing and intriguing. As with most of these films, the little details are all placed right such as the music that plays when Anna is dreaming, the little moments when she is thinking back to things in her life. I don't want to give the story away but I would definitely recommend this.Yes I too felt a little emotional at the end but it's such a beautiful story. For me I'd say it's a cross between Kiki's delivery service and Arietty although I found it a lot more interesting than the latter. Settle down for a cozy night with a hot drink and totally get lost in this wonderful story. You won't be disappointed.

When I first ordered from amazon I received one of the faulty Blu Rays, having returned it and ordered the most recent release from amazon I can confirm that the rerelease works perfectly.As for the film itself, it's wonderful. Perhaps not as strong as some of Ghibli's best films it's amongst the best of the rest. It has more in common with films like the wind rises then Ghibli's more fantastical releases and the emotional complexity of its main character makes her a worthy addition to Ghibli's list of female protagonists.For those looking for a more human story I highly recommend When Marnie Was There, and the animation is as stunning as always.

Fortunately, there are no skipping, freezing or strange laser discs sound problems with this Blu-Ray reissue when the main feature plays, in comparison to the original release.With that said, When Marnie Was There is said to be Studio Ghibli's final film. If that is the case, then they ended on a very high note as I consider it to be one of their best and it happens to be one of my top 5 favourites from them. It has a very relatable and well developed main character who grows over the course of the film, a beautiful friendship between Anna and Marnie, stunning and detailed animation, beautiful visuals that makes you want to be in that world, an intriguing storyline with plenty of mystery and mature themes, an effective score and an emotionally spell-binding final act.It's a wonderful reminder just how great animation can be as a medium and that it's an art form that can speak to anyone, not just kids. I highly recommend Ghibli fans, or even those who are new to the studio to check this film out. It's an emotional experience no one should have to miss.

There has been so many glowing reviews of this film that there is very little I can add to it, except to back up that it is a truly wonderful film.The story is intriguing and interesting; a misfit teenage girl, adopted and rebellious against everyone, is lovingly sent to her adopted mothers relatives to spend a summer holiday in the hope it may help mend her melancholy state. It is there that the journey begins of how the teenage protagonist finds understanding of her world and of others and of herself.In simple terms, any film has two components: a visual part and audio part. The animation is superb; beautiful renditions of scenes that are both life like caricatures and conveying of mood. The actors are superb, their voices perfectly match their characters and deliver performances that are totally engaging and fit perfectly into the story and film.Whilst younger viewers may not see the subtleties of the story they will be engrossed by the wonderful, colourful animation that conveys oodles of emotion along the way, plus the intrigue of the solitary house and mysterious inhabitants including Marnie herself.Adults will appreciate all these things plus latch on to the empathy conveyed for the main protagonists and those around them and all the events they shared.It is a wonderful production; the characters look and move in a manner matching their personalities and roles, the landscapes encapsulate the mood of the story setting, the animation is sumptuous and a joy to look at; topping it off are the voices of the actors which convey perfectly their characters. The sound is wonderful, with incidental effects such as rain footsteps, etc. all deliciously conveyed and a pleasure to listen to; just listening to this DVD is itself an engaging experience that captivates the listener.Dont hesitate to see this wonderful heart wrenching and uplifting film; you wont regret it.

Ghost story with a difference, warm and comfortable, the gentle coming together of past and present. Having read the book I could not imagine how a Japanese director could do justice to the spirit of the story but the film is excellent in all respects. If anything the ending is more fitting in the film than in the book. Wonderful animation as in all this studio's films.

I had originally posted my review in the DVD section. My purchase was Blu-ray so I am posting it here instead.First of all, my Blu-ray disc works perfectly - I assume, therefore that the technical problem has now been solved.Some friends and I watched this film a couple of days ago. At first they objected at the prospect of watching a "cartoon". I objected, saying that this is an animated feature film and should not be dismissed as a "cartoon" (and therefore a simplistic children's film). They watched it and were transfixed.They thought that it was constantly beautiful to look at, were astonished at its emotional depth and by the extent of character development. Their only (slightly) negative point they was that Marnie, who is clearly English, should be dubbed with an American accent. All I can say is that I wholeheartedly agree with their judgements. This is a beautiful, emotionally challenging and heart-warming film. I own copies of almost all the Studio Ghibli collection and I do hope that there will be more to come.