your name. (2016)

On a basic level, Makoto Shinkai's your name. is a body-swap story in which two Japanese high school students, Mitsuha (female) and Taki (male), swap identities from time to time. While there's still some mileage to be had in the concept, thankfully, the film attempts something more meaningful.
Filtered through the director's understanding of the shortcomings of human relationships the many contrasts adopt a kind of sensitivity that over time bond with a small number of recurring motifs. When coupled with musings on the machinations of fate's weave, the result is a tale of two souls searching for something yet unknown to them, but it's a thing that each one believes in their heart exists. While it didn't stir me as much as his earlier works, the animation and movement are beautiful, and the sentiment that's carefully stitched into each revelation is heartfelt, so respect is earned for that.

3½ thread voices out of 5