"Weathering With You" (2019) - Movie Review

@shortshots 65

almost 2 years ago

CineTV

Synopsis

A boy runs away to Tokyo and meets a girl who can pray away the rain.

Where'd I watch this?

HBO Max.

Why'd I watch it?

It's visually striking, has good music, and I needed to watch something a little more uplifting after my recent anime watch of "A Silent Voice."

Check out this Youtube trailer for the film here.

... So What I did I think?

First things first, the movie had a catchy title -- "Weathering With You." I thought that was pretty clever since it's about a runaway who meets a girl who can pray away the rain.

Anyway, I'm a sucker for good visuals and great music. And this movie has both. Do I also expect good story and characters? Of course I do but that's just a given when you watch a movie. The plot and characterizations are supposed to stick with you -- and if it's got cool aesthetics and music, that's a plus too.

It's a truly beautiful film, the sheer spectacle of what they accomplish is remarkable. And not just the scenic weather shots and animations but the overall animation and fluid motion of the characters too.

I'll admit it. The whole premise is pretty simple but I think that's a strength here because that allowed whatever team made this to truly focus on building something grand which was possible because it had the firm foundation of simple but solid story. (The people responsible are a studio called CoMix Wave Films which also did "Your Name" which I'm told is the sliced bread of recent anime films ... which I haven't seen but definitely will. "Weathering With You" is newer but now I have very high expectations because of this film.)

A kid runs away to the city to try and make it, maybe become a success despite his limited resources, and what happens? He fails. Maybe it's his fault, or maybe the decade or era he lives in are to blame -- but shit happens. Thankfully he's able to find a job writing for some small-time online paper but it's better than nothing. I'm not sure what it is but I really liked that he didn't end up at some big company, that he got situated at some small mom n' pop place to do articles on strange stories.

I really liked the main character of Hodaka in this movie. Despite the danger and drama of his life in Tokyo, it truly felt like a one of a kind adventure. There were adults in his life who provided guidance or just faith in his seemingly-fantastical beliefs and they weren't perfect people either. I actually don't know what the message of the movie is other than don't give up, hold on to what you personally know to be true, but also to not give up on others, that the suffering of those willing to suffer for you is still your suffering. That didn't come out right but hopefully that'll make sense after you watch this movie.

Not sure what else to say, I really don't want to spoil this movie in the least bit for anyone who may be interested in watching visually striking, musically delightful, and narratively heart-strumming.