In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Monday, 20 May 2013

My Neighbours the Yamadas (1999)

The Ghibli film that often gets forgotten, and with good reason. The pseudo-watercolour visual style, far removed from the usual template, would work well as a picture book but as an animation it's too empty, with little or no backgrounds. That emptiness could've been compensated for by filling the story, by having a solid beginning, middle and end that carried the viewer along an emotional track, but that doesn't happen. Instead, it's a collection of vignettes that attempt to reflect real life. Some are wry or ironic, and some are touching and heartfelt, but it's not enough.

2 proverbs out of 5

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