Rating of
3.5/4
Momo is a Treat for the Eyes, Soul
Chris Kavan - wrote on 10/26/14
Director Hiroyuki Okiura, who previously directed Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, spent seven years in getting A Letter to Momo to the big screen. That seven years was well spent as Momo reminds me of the more grounded, yet fantastical, of the Studio Ghibli films - Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro - but still stands on its own as a visual and emotional treat.
Momo both about family and also serves as a coming-of-age film. In the beginning, Momo is your typical fish-out-of-water but also still reeling from the death of her father. On the island of Shio, she at first thinks nothing is going on - her mother works all day and she has trouble connecting with the few people on the island her own age. But that's when she discovers trio of goblins following her - the mischievous and child-like Mame, the towering ogre Iwa and the amphibian-like Kawa. The trio are always stealing things and always hungry - and cause no end of trouble for Momo, especially since she seems to be about the only person who can see them. They have a few adventures, but things change when Momo learns of their connection to her late father - and maybe the unfinished letter he left behind, which she holds very dear.
The animation is great - Okiura had a few people from Studio Ghibli on hand to help, and the style is very reminiscent of the studio. What really stood out for me were both the facial expression and body language of the characters. It was very detailed yet also very grounded in reality - amazing for 2D animation at this point and every bit as wonderful as anything I have seen out of Japan. The story also packs a nice emotional punch - the situation is something you could very easily encounter (minus the goblins) and the overall arc is fantastic. So many great moments - from dancing with the goblins to a scooter ride through a typhoon to an emotional flashback - everything is well done and flows smoothly.
Aside from the excellent animation and story, the film also features a well-rounded soundtrack from Mina Kubota, who has mostly worked in television, but provides great support. The characters are also well done - you get a great sense of who the main characters are at least - even those goblins have their own personalities. I wish some of the supporting characters had been a bit more fleshed out, but since the story focuses on Momo, it's not that big of deal.
If you have enjoyed Studio Ghibli's work over the years, A Letter to Momo is definitely in that caliber of animation and enjoyment. It's great for the family, great for anime fans and overall blows everything else out of the water in terms of animation for the year thus far.
