Suzume

I was so stirred by the conceit of these pending disasters all emanating from gates that developed on sights that were once joyful places where people congregated.

It all makes for a fine adolescent adventure: travel, rebellion, unattainable love, a search, a chase, a deadline, and a little bit of growing up. And happily, the film understands that some problems don’t get resolved without real sacrifice.

Makoto Shinkai’s latest anime is another visually stunning crowdpleaser.

Shinkai Makoto’s supernatural fantasy is a whirlwind of tentacled monsters, interdimensional portals and talking chairs, but the film is at its strongest when grounded in everyday life.

A moving tale of healing and hope...

Its real love story is with the stuff of everyday life, making it almost unbearably inviting and worth fighting for.

I didn’t have a bad time with Suzume. It looks beautiful and its characters aren’t unlikeable, which gives me a baseline investment. But while it’s not a bad time, it’s a rather shallow one.

“Suzume” is an intimate story told in a titanic fashion. It’s artistically dazzling and emotionally resonant on many layers.

While the overall vibe does feel like a retread of [Makoto Shinkai's] last two films, that doesn’t take away from the evocative emotional weight of its narrative.

The story, by writer-director Makoto Shinkai ('Your Name') is complicated, but compelling. The main characters are well developed. For my money, this is the best animated film of 2023 (2022 in Japan).