From Up On Poppy Hill (PG)

We all know the indie flicks that deal with two teens falling in love and how they’re basically a dime a dozen, throw-away films that are best enjoyed with a bucket of ice-cream and a box of tissues. They’re annoying; they get in the way of good, decent films, and end up being ignored. However, what if you took the concept that has plagued many a bargain bin and closing-down sale and actually tried. A labour of love has brought the most worn-out plot and given it a whole new set of characters to play with. It’s all done under Studio Ghibli so of course it’s going to be easy on the eyes.

Set in Japan in the run up to the 1964 Olympic Games, the animated film, “From Up on Poppy Hill” is told from the perspective of Umi, a daughter who has lost her father to the Korean War and cares for the family with her sisters. She honours her father by raising signal flags for passing ships on her sea-side home. One day a poem appears in the newspaper, later revealed to be written by the love interest Shun. Shun is a boy at the school who is outspoken and brash, but his confidence hides his insecurities stemming from being an adopted child. Shun is also part of the school’s newspaper team located in the clubhouse. The clubhouse is in danger of being demolished, and all the children help out to make it look new. From that, Shun’s and Umi’s relationship flourishes.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. That is the most cliched plot I have ever laid my eyes upon. 99.9% of the time you would be right in assuming that this would turn out as a sappy, tired mess. However, common logic doesn’t seem to apply to Director Goro Miyazaki. The story, which could have drivelled on like any Nicholas Sparks adaptation, edges its way along at just the right pace so there’s sincerity without coming off as if it has been written by a teenager whose concept of love was almost entirely forged by rom-coms.

The banter between Umi and Shun seems genuine and evolves throughout the film so that the chemistry between the two can bring a smile to the face of even the most jaded cynic. Even given a twist that comes a bit out of nowhere, you still want them to succeed even if it does make things more than a little creepy. This is ultimately where the film’s biggest strength lies. The characters are not over-the-top to the point where I laugh rather than battle the lump in my throat, and for a while that lump was winning. You really do care about the characters in this film. Everyone is given a distinct personality and isn’t just relegated to “This is John Doe and he is here to spout exposition.” You care, you feel, and you empathise. This is a master class on how to write every type of character regardless of gender, age, or disposition.

The minor characters of a film are the foundation, which the main ones can develop off of, and this film certainly delivers on that front. The clubhouse in jeopardy is home to the various clubs and societies of the school. Within one tour of the place you find an abundance of peculiar strays that have found refuge in the love of chemistry, astronomy, philosophy etc. You find out the Astronomy Club is wearing away researching sunspots, even though they have absolutely no significant findings. Yet their passion for something that no one else cares about is uplifting and hilarious.

The film also has the lone philosophy scholar, who would happily discuss the inequities of man but can’t master simple ideas like hygiene. He also has a feud with the Chemistry Club for constantly blowing their room up. He calls them, “Third-rate alchemists.” It’s little lines like this, given to characters who really don’t forward the plot, that really give this film a personality of its own. Everyone seems to matter, no matter how insignificant.

For all the character development and the beautifully paced story-line that make this film, there is but one flaw that I found to be oddly irritating. The twist in the relationship between Shun and Umi is resolved in the space of about 40 minutes and is never mentioned once it’s sorted out. This one glaring contrivance amidst a symphony for the senses throws it off just a touch, but the more I think about it, the more it annoys me. Don’t get me wrong, the film is wonderful, but this one thing eating away at common sense drags it down to a slightly lower standing in the grand scheme of things.

In summary, “From Up On Poppy Hill” is a beautiful film in every sense oft he word. The animation is top-class as always from Studio Ghibli, and the story is sincere enough to save it from the world of teenage irrationality. With one minor flaw, it is merely like seeing a small imperfection on a perfectly sculpted figure. Please watch this; it will make anyone who views it unimaginably happy.

– by Paul O’Connor