Yes another one of those Japanese animated films with those huge wide eyes! Long gone are those days when animation meant “made for children”. This film is not suitable for children. In “Suzume” there is a fantastic story about mostly threatening creatures from another world but as well themes of love, death, teen rebellion and female empowerment.
Suzume is a 17-year-old living in Kyushu in Southern Japan with her aunt Tamaki as her mother died when she was four years old. On her way to school one morning she meets a young man Souta looking for ruins. Souta is a Closer meaning he prevents evil spirits from entering earth through a door and causing havoc and death. The portal is most often located in ruins. Some evil can be contained by ensuring the door leading from the Ever After remains closed while more devastating evil can only be stopped by a Keystone.
Suzume embarks on an adventure with Souta throughout Japan closing doors and preventing mass destruction and death. Cute cats with big eyes are interwoven into the story. An engrossing story you will look forward to participating in but as the movie progresses you may add to it a strong story of female empowerment. Suzume is fearless, intelligent and assertive.
Now and then I can’t resist contemplating those nasty sandworms in Dune and Beetlejuice. In this case there are enormous killer snakes! Dubbed from Japanese to English and my goodness the voices of the characters (including the cats) is absolutely perfect. Even the cheesy Nippon pop may cause you to crack a smile.
You can see the screener here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfKNOUUtyCA
Theatrical release in Canada is 27October2023.
The writer, creator and director is Makoto Shinkai.
RKS 2023 Film Rating: 91/100.
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