Something to watch tonight: Wednesday 9 August
Whisper of the Heart (Kondô, 1995) is streaming on Netflix
We’ve had a few days of ‘grown-up’ recommendations but that’s not the full kaupapa so here’s a suggestion for the whole family.
Whisper of the Heart starts with Olivia Newton-John’s version of ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ and then – as if such a thing were possible – gets even better!
This is a Ghibli film – not a Miyazaki and therefore not worthy of a theme park – but as charming a film as ever you’ll see.
It is 1995 and libraries are transitioning to barcode systems. From the old card system, Junior High bookworm Shizuku realises that the books she has been borrowing have all been read by a boy before her. (The privacy implications of this scenario are not investigated.)
Is this magic, or is someone watching her and predicting her choices?
A classic Ghibli cat meets her on a train and leads her to an antique shop in the hills where the mystery deepens – and widens!
Ghibli films that aren’t from Miyazaki or Takahata tend to be ignored but this was delightful. Full of generous cultural detail – as always – this film will hit the spot: romantic, nostalgic, uplifting …
Almost all the Ghibli films are streaming on Netflix in New Zealand so I recommend digging deeper than just Totoro.
This film has for some time been my answer to the impossible question - favourite Ghibli movie?
I go backwards and forwards about the order of my Ghibli Top Three, but 'Whisper of the Heart' is always in there!