The Movie: Suzume / すずめの戸締まり
The Director: Makoto Shinkai
The Cast: Nanoka Hara, Hokuto Matsumura, Eri Fukatsu, Shota Sometani, Sairi Ito, Kotone Hanase, Kana Hanazawa, Matsumoto Hakuō II
The Story: A modern action adventure road story where a 17-year-old girl named Suzume helps a mysterious young man close doors from the outer side that are releasing disasters all over in Japan.
The Review:
Wow, what a beautiful movie. Makoto Shinkai has been responsible for a couple of the greatest anime movies ever made in Your Name and Weathering with You and now he adds yet another work of art to his esteemed resume. Shinkai fills the story with a sense of adventure that draws you in and then he hits you with all the emotions in a way that's both exhausting and inspiring at the same time. This is of course a coming of age story featuring Suzume, the title character as voiced by Nanoka Hara, as she makes some unexpected discoveries while dealing with the struggles of being a teenager.
I don't know if there's any way to properly describe the incredible artistry that went into making this movie the visual treat that it ultimately ends up being. Every frame of film, or every pixel I guess, is a sight to behold and a feast for the eyes, all in the comforting and familiar style that is a hallmark of any Shinkai production. I really love the natural and more traditional look of the animation which to me keeps the story more grounded as opposed to if everything had a more modern CGI feel to it. This also allows the focus to be on the characters and their interactions with each other and then, when they do hit you with a big special effects style moment, it is that much more impactful.
Going back to my comparison to Shinkai's other films, Your Name and Weathering with You, I kind of feel like that's not a fair expectation to set because both of those movies are so good, so well received, and so well beloved by just about everyone and I still want you to be able to go into this movie with a fresh pair of eyes and mindset to match. Overall, the story doesn't have quite the emotional punch that the others do although it still left me more than satisfied and equally inspired.
The kicker is when Radwimps' beautiful song Kanata Haluka begins to play during the end credits and the emotions really do start to creep in. Radwimps and Shinkai has been an ongoing collaboration and I really hope that contines for pretty much ever. You will be hard pressed to find a better combination of songs woven perfectly into the films they are paired up with and Kanata Haluka fits right in with the rest. The song is just as universal as everything else the movie has to offer and Suzume's journey should really be an inspiration to teenagers, and anyone else for that matter, around the world.
The Verdict:
Suzume is a beautiful film with an equally beautiful story that is inspiring, heart warming, and will tug at your emotions just like every Makoto Shinkai film tends to do. This is a movie you do not want to miss seeing in an actual movie theater as the big screen experience really takes the whole thing to another level.
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