The Boy and the Heron | Hayao Miyazaki | Studio Ghibli | GKIDS | NA Debut at TIFF | WINNER OF THE OSCAR FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

[LegionWrex]

3 minutes ago, SchumacherFTW said:

One Piece Red was the first thing I'd watched of the series since the first episode way back when. I thought it was decent, did a pretty good job being standalone enough where I could enjoy it for the most part, even if I wouldn't get the same kick out of it as fans would. 

If you enjoyed the film well enough I think you would really love the series. Obviously considering it's length that's easier said then done but the show/manga is one of my favourite stories in fiction. Well worth the ride.

[IronJimbo & Sheldon's Son]

Princess Kaguya is the best Ghibli film, fight me. Seemingly this has a similar style to that so I'm really looking forward to watch it in 37 years when it finally gets released here 🤣. Box office wise it might struggle relative to Miyazaki's powerhouses of the past since it might be hard for kids to understand what's going on. I know Kaguya wasn't a megahit either when it came out.

[SchumacherFTW]

8 minutes ago, LegionWrex said:

If you enjoyed the film well enough I think you would really love the series. Obviously considering it's length that's easier said then done but the show/manga is one of my favourite stories in fiction. Well worth the ride.

Yeah, the series is on my no go list, I don't have the time or patience to spend a year only watching one piece

[cannastop]

I guess maybe this movie will have a similar Japanese box office performance as The Wind Rises?

[Issac Newton]

The Tale Of Princess Kaguya

 

¥284,252,550 / 222,822 admits (456 SC)

 

Final ¥2.47B. Epic Diaster for ¥5.15B Production Budget. Hopefully, I think Physical Copies &Later Streaming Services had bought it to a zero profit zone.

[Rorschach]

https://fullfrontal.moe/how-do-you-live-review/

 

^ Pretty good review I found. These paragraphs, in particular, really caught my attention (put in spoiler tags for those who still want to go in blind):

 

Spoiler

Praising How Do You Live?’s artistic qualities is the easy part. Narratively, the film is difficult to assess – I’m not sure how to feel about it after the first watch, and I think it should prove divisive among audiences, like its predecessor The Wind Rises. By that, I am not saying that it is similar – it is completely different, although the autobiographical elements are both more pronounced and less obnoxious this time. It is, in fact, quite unlike most of Miyazaki’s previous films, especially its early part.

 

Indeed, How Do You Live? can be neatly divided into two very different parts. The first one could be described as a slow-burn fantasy horror film, reminiscent of Pan’s Labyrinth. Exceptional in Miyazaki’s body of work, it makes for a slow, disturbing, masterfully handled opening act – think of it like Spirited Away’s beginning, but far longer and even more unsettling. Following from there, it slowly transitions into what I’d call “fairy-tale” territory, which is more classical Miyazaki-esque, self-pandering fantasy. The characters and viewers progressively enter an incredibly rich, imaginative, and complex world, one of those things for which the Japanese director has become so famous. While I am not sold on all of its aspects – after such a unique first act, the attempts at comic relief and some of the most self-referential moments fell flat – it is perhaps one of the most ambitious fictional universes built by Miyazaki: the landscapes are varied, never repetitive, and never fail to conjure a sense of wonder. One of the film’s most striking aspects, and perhaps what might make it a difficult watch for some, is how slow it is. This does not just apply to the atmospheric beginning, but also to the second part: while a classical Miyazaki adventure, it takes pains to keep the universe and its laws as impenetrable as possible. There is none of the exhilarating energy one might find in Laputa or even the density of Spirited Away‘s world: the sense of wonder is still there, but it is far more contemplative.

 

That dimension can probably be understood in the continuity of The Wind Rises and How Do You Live? certainly follows it in its introspective aspect, perhaps the product of an aged artist coming back on his life and creations. But, thankfully, it does not fall into one of the trappings that could be expected from this and the title: I feared a moralizing, perhaps even bitter film coming from an old man whose controversial positions have never been a secret. Nothing could be further from the truth: unexpectedly borrowing from Sekai-kei and portal fantasy tropes, this film about trauma and grief closes with an optimistic, hopeful message. It certainly has something to say to younger generations, but is never patronizing – in that, it is one more proof of Miyazaki’s talent as a writer.

 

[MovieMan89]

18 minutes ago, IronJimbo & Sheldon's Son said:

Princess Kaguya is the best Ghibli film, fight me. Seemingly this has a similar style to that so I'm really looking forward to watch it in 37 years when it finally gets released here 🤣. Box office wise it might struggle relative to Miyazaki's powerhouses of the past since it might be hard for kids to understand what's going on. I know Kaguya wasn't a megahit either when it came out.

It is the best Ghibli film not made by Miyazaki. 
 

I’m here for this being Miyazaki’s “Kaguya”, which is honestly what that one poster we got evoked. But I really wanted something in the vein of his Mononoke/Spirited/Howl apex where he was combining both his artistic peak with epic spectacle and mainstream appeal. Ah well, that would have always been a heavy ask at his age. 

[ThomasNicole]

41 minutes ago, LegionWrex said:

Yeah it sounds like Miyazaki's The Tale of Princess Kaguya which is fantastic to me. Also likely means Oscar nomination for Animated Feature is a lock if that's the case.

Out of likes, but i’m hopeful. 
 

I know social media will be all about Spidey but i would love to see Miyazaki winning animated feature again and to see this movie breaking the 14 year hiatus since an animation ended up nominated for Best Picture.

[JustLurking]

From everything I've read this film sounds super personal for Miyazaki, which lines well with his statement that this film was made for his grandson

[cannastop]

1 minute ago, ThomasNicole said:

and to see this movie breaking the 14 year hiatus since an animation ended up nominated for Best Picture.

really really doubt that the academy would get a Miyazaki in the Best Picture category

[MovieMan89]

1 minute ago, cannastop said:

really really doubt that the academy would get a Miyazaki in the Best Picture category

They would have if this was another epic Mononoke/Spirited type of masterpiece. If it’s more experimental and subdued though, yeah not happening. 

[ThomasNicole]

3 minutes ago, cannastop said:

really really doubt that the academy would get a Miyazaki in the Best Picture category

They nominated Drive My Car which is a Japanese 3 hour slow movie. 
 

Sure the animation is historically the underdog but the academy is really trying to be diverse and pretty much every year there’s a Japanese or Korean movie nominated, including very unorthodox ones. Maybe this year can be this one since Miyazaki is such a beloved legend and this is his final movie. 

Edited July 14, 2023 by ThomasNicole

[LegionWrex]

7 minutes ago, ThomasNicole said:

They nominated Drive My Car which is a Japanese 3 hour slow movie. 
 

Sure the animation is historically the underdog but the academy is really trying to be diverse and pretty much every year there’s a Japanese or Korean movie nominated, including very unorthodox ones. Maybe this year can be this one since Miyazaki is such a beloved legend and this is his final movie. 

Would love to see it get nominated but I think the cynical part of my brain just knows it's not happening. And I don't know if it was another grand epic like Mononoke or Spirited Away they would have nominated it either, the Academy has struck out too many times with animated films for me to trust them.

 

Both Soul and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio were widely seen as possible Best Picture favourites and both failed to get in. Pinocchio in particular felt like the prime opportunity but even that underperformed at the Academy (no Song or Score despite getting nominated everywhere else for it) so I'd be content with an Animated Feature win and that's it.

[IronJimbo & Sheldon's Son]

Reading some reviews it sounds like 

Spoiler

there are lots of nods to previous Miyazaki films. From the Ghibli subreddit some people have posted their thoughts

 

Quote

Then you see Spirited Away here, then some Totoro, then you see a bit of Howl, and then Ponyo like stuff, and an underlying sense of From Up on Poppy Hill. It seems in the other movies, each movie stood on its own ground. They don't look like each other. But this one seems like the animation of the everything he made before a mashed (not together) but in some kind of sequence.

 

Quote

I felt like it went in all different directions so at some point I felt it was going to be like Grave of the Fireflies, then Spirited Away, and Nausicaä. It definitely has a strong identity of its own but it was fun to see parts that were reminiscent of his older movies.

 

 

[IronJimbo & Sheldon's Son]

11 minutes ago, LegionWrex said:

Would love to see it get nominated but I think the cynical part of my brain just knows it's not happening. And I don't know if it was another grand epic like Mononoke or Spirited Away they would have nominated it either, the Academy has struck out too many times with animated films for me to trust them.

 

Both Soul and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio were widely seen as possible Best Picture favourites and both failed to get in. Pinocchio in particular felt like the prime opportunity but even that underperformed at the Academy (no Song or Score despite getting nominated everywhere else for it) so I'd be content with an Animated Feature win and that's it.

Is there even a chance it gets released in the west in 2023 with the strikes going on? This seems more like a 2024 release to me which it probably has a better shot at winning animated feature since BTSV will most likely get delayed to 2025.

[JustLurking]

3 minutes ago, IronJimbo & Sheldon's Son said:

Is there even a chance it gets released in the west in 2023 with the strikes going on? This seems more like a 2024 release to me which it probably has a better shot at winning animated feature since BTSV will most likely get delayed to 2025.

I don't see why the strikes would make any difference for this film, if anything it might have a better shot at releasing this year since some stuff will inevitably get bumped leaving more room for a small release like this film. That said I don't particularly think they care all that much about winning the Oscar quite frankly.

Edited July 14, 2023 by JustLurking

[LegionWrex]

Just now, IronJimbo & Sheldon's Son said:

Is there even a chance it gets released in the west in 2023 with the strikes going on? This seems more like a 2024 release to me which it probably has a better shot at winning animated feature since BTSV will most likely get delayed to 2025.

It will depend on several factors. On the one hand, if the distributor (whether it be GKids, Sony, Disney, or whoever) picks it up, it's possible they wait till next year to have a better chance at the Oscar.

 

However, there is always the slight chance Japan picks it as their International Feature contender for this year's Oscar, which they have done before (Princess Mononoke, Weathering with You) so if they do that then it has to compete for the Oscars this year.

[Rorschach]

Will have to see if Japan submits it for International Feature before I buy this as a Best Picture contender. I could easily see them pass it up for Kore-eda's Monster, instead. 

 

Even if they do, though, it's already got stiff competition for that coveted International Feature slot in Picture with films like Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest. And if they do go for an animated film in Picture, Spider-Verse is still gonna give it a good fight for attention (however, I think it's more likely neither to get in at all). It also needs to be a strong contender in other categories like Screenplay, Sound, Score, and Sound as well. All very possible, but I guess we'll have to see how this awards season shakes out.

 

At the end of the day, though, a lone animated feature nom will still be better than nothing at all.

[Boxx93]

I hope How Do You Live gets an early 2024 release date in the west so that Suzume still gets a shot at being nominated for the Best Animated Feature category this year.

 

I know Spiderverse is probably gonna be the winner but a recognition for Makoto Shinkai would be very nice after they snubbed Your Name and Whethering With You.

Edited July 14, 2023 by Boxx93

[harrisonisdead]

4 hours ago, JustLurking said:

I don't see why the strikes would make any difference for this film, if anything it might have a better shot at releasing this year since some stuff will inevitably get bumped leaving more room for a small release like this film. That said I don't particularly think they care all that much about winning the Oscar quite frankly.

Would a distributor release this without a simultaneous English dub?