Mirai no Mirai (2018)
Dir. Mamoru Hosoda / Dur. 100 mins
In A Nutshell:- The arrival of a new baby sister, Mirai, turns four year old Kun’s world upside down.
The Good:- It’s a very sweet natured character piece about a four year old boy who steps into various fantasy situations as a way of coping with the arrival of a new sibling and the shift of focus that brings about in his parents. There are some nicely observed moments of humour and the moments between the family have a nicely genuine feel to them, particularly in the discussions between the parents about their ability or lack thereof to be good parents. The fantasy sequences in which Kun imagines conversations with a humanised family dog and an older version of his baby sister (the titular Mirai Of The Future) are enjoyable as is the sequence where he imagines himself trashing the house with a younger version of his mother.
The Bad:- I think the unfortunate side is that Studio Ghibli have been such a powerhouse in this area that it suffers by comparison to one of their works. It may seem a little unfair but it’s hard not to compare it to one of their more whimsical efforts.
The Verdict:- It’s an enjoyable enough animated yarn but ultimately feels a little slight - I’m already struggling to retain a lot of the details of it. I did enjoy it but, compared to some of the other films I’ve seen, it’s not strong enough to stand up there with the best of them.
Festival Tidbit:- The film’s director wasn’t able to be there in person so sent a recorded intro. Unfortunately, he speaks no English and the video was (mistakenly, I’m assuming) not subtitled so i have no idea what he was saying. Still, it was nice he made the effort to record something even if I don’t know what that was...
Next Time:- The first forsay for me this festival into the realm of something science fiction related
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