My little odyssey at the time of touring the filmography of the Studio Ghibli officially began 5 days ago, with Hotaru no Haka being the starting point. If I'm being honest, I've rarely felt as excited about a movie as I have felt with these. Each new movie made me feel like the "me" of over a decade ago, that little boy going to the cinema for the first time to watch Finding Nemo. But it's logical, isn't it? The reputation of the Japanese studio speaks for itself and its productions have a special charm, a different flavor from, say, Pixar works, but the same magic. Anyway, enough with the introduction.
I have to say that this is my sixth attempt at writing a review about a Ghibli production, but for various reasons, with my previous attempts I could not deliver a comment effective enough to be happy with and therefore, publish it. This time, however, seeing that I have the advantage that nobody has made a review of this movie, (something that makes things easier for me), I will not have second thoughts. So, I hope I am capable to transmit something interesting through this text.
Let's focus, the premise of Uma Ga Kikoeru is relatively simple: A familiar face in a train station makes Taku, our protagonist, relive the memories of his time in high school. At that time, Rikako, a teenage girl who'd recently arrived from Tokyo, took the whole class of Taku by surprise and was able to catch both his and his friend Yutaka attention.
Who would have guessed it? The parents of such fantastic (in a magical way) works as Tonari no Totoro decided to do a small and wistful drama about a love triangle. Based on this premise, the events of the film are developed more like a Slice of Life than a full-fledged drama. And it is true that, perhaps in other hands, this movie could have been a disaster. But, luckily, it is not. It may lack the scope or charm that other productions of the studio can boast of having and its narrative philosophy is closer to that of Omohide poro poro (which can restrict it to a niche), but that does not make it a bad movie under any circumstance, just an unfortunate one, let's say. A good one surrounded by an enviroment of excellence. Even so, it's worthwhile to see what Ghibli can do with a premise so simple, contained and grounded such as this.
Umi Ga Kikoeru is a fairly modest film, even minimalist and subtle in certain occasions. And that translates to the treatment of its conflicts and its whole narrative arc. It ends up delivering a very elegant story within a genre populated by cheap drama and unnecessary conflicts. And it is there in that simplicity where it shines with more strength, through silence and the small connections between its characters. And it's true that this can depict the film as a more monotonous and uneventful one, but it doesn't need major events, twists and contrivances. Its slower pace nourishes the film with a tinge of nostalgia and melancholy that resonates, even more than an overreaction for the sake of being dramatic. Honestly, it's a relief and it feels fresh.
It all comes down to this, Umi Ga Kikoeru is a good movie. It's a small human story about the emotions in adolescence, about friendship, love and longing. It is true that some of its aspects don't feel so good nowadays, such as their representation of women (especially coming from Ghibli, having the works of Miyazaki so many strong female characters) or a small violent exchange between Taku and Rikako that left me with a bitter taste. Even the personality of the latter that for me feels like that of a teenager at times charming, at others vulnerable and at others unpleasant, can be seen as obnoxious by many.
The title of this film is quite an accurate analogy for the state of its main cast. This is a warm, minimalist film, yes, but a captivating one. It may not reach the greatness of Omohide poro poro, but it is more than a worthy companion. It's nostalgic and there are very close and relatable moments in it, moments that show how good can Studio Ghibli be when it comes to narrating a simpler and more contained drama.
Thanks for reading and allow me to apologize for my English. It's not my mother tongue.