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It takes an awful lot to be unique nowadays, if something is successful then often it is imitated and originality often seems to be only fleeting. Thank the stars then for My Neighbours the Yamadas, a truly unique experience which has yet to be imitated by any other animation. My Neighbours the Yamadas is based on
a popular Japanese newspaper comic strip which follows the trials and
tribulations of a Japanese nuclear family - father Takashi, housewife Matsuko,
grandmother Shige, student son Noboru and irrepressible daughter Nonoko.
There is no real overall plot, instead the ups and downs of everyday life are
explored in a series of self-contained vignettes of varying length, linked with
poetry and music. The themes of the vignettes vary from simple situation
comedy to light hearted and imaginative looks at marriage and family life, using
metaphors such as bobsleigh races and sailing on rough and calm seas. |
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The film is certainly unusual, and not simply for the unconventional subject and structure. The first thing you will notice when you watch it is the truly unique animation. As mentioned the film is based on a newspaper comic strip, and the film reproduces the cartoonish 2D artwork perfectly, adding soft watercolours to the normally monochrome line art. It simply is stunning to watch, there really is nothing like it, the animation brings fluidity and life to the simplistic artwork without ever losing the style or feel of it. The film has a beauty all of its own, and the simple artwork belies the intricacies of the world that animators Studio |
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Ghibli have created. Little details throughout brings it to life, whether loose signs blowing in the wind or the door banging open when shut too hard, and this subconscious realism means that in the single scene where the simple visuals are replaced by detailed sketch art, you genuinely don't notice until it suddenly switches back to normal.
Stunning visuals would be nothing without decent content though, and
the film delivers in this area too. Most of the scenes are
hilarious, with particular highlights including Takashi trying to
stop Matsuko changing the TV channel (trust me, it's funny) and
Nonoko getting left in a shopping centre. The Yamadas are a
likeable and generally normal family, and families are families
wherever you go in the world. The humour in this film crosses
the cultural barrier with little problem, for example a Japanese
wedding ceremony may be different to an English one, but it's still
damn funny when Takashi stands up to give a speech only to find his
wife has passed him her shopping list instead of his notes.
The film is packed with perfectly observed family comedy, which
makes it a joy to watch, but it's not afraid to show the darker side
too. It is really poignant when Shige's hospitalised friend
gossips to take her mind off her illness, but the segment in which a
terrified Takashi confronts a gang of bikers and then dejectedly
contrasts his own weakness and fear against the image of the family
protector he wants to be is really moving. |
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The film's message though is cemented by the scenes that bookend it. starting with the metaphorical journey through married life which warns of the dangers of complacency, and ending with a beautiful summary of what family life should be put to the song Que Sera Sera. It's things like this that really makes My Neighbours the Yamadas unique, it is a film with a message but no story yet is still a highly enjoyable film to watch. There are aspects of the film that may not appeal to everyone, for example the simplistic art and lack of any real dramatic story, and there's always a fine line between pretension and meaningful depth |
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whenever poetry is used in a film. But despite this you would have to be quite hard-hearted to not enjoy it to some degree. My Neighbours the Yamadas is a truly unique and extremely enjoyable viewing experience which redefines how a film should look and feel without ever losing its accessibility. Despite looking like and sharing aspects with arthouse cinema, it never seems to get pretentious and it retains a great sense of fun throughout. What you end up with is a perfectly paced and excellently delivered snapshot of family life which crosses cultural barriers and will leave you smiling, what more can you ask for? Extras: As with all of Optimum's Studio Ghibli Collection we get the full storyboards for the film, the original Japanese trailers for the film and a Ghibli Collection trailer reel. The only other extra on show is the theatrical trailer for Howl's Moving Castle. Ratings Feature:
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