Howl's Moving Castle: A personal gem:

                                                 A WALTZ IN PARADISE

Many of Studio Ghibli's extraordinary

films go under the radar, despite their

beauty and flawless animation. One of those features, (which is an Oscar

in my books!) was Howl's Moving Castle. (2004)

This was one of my favorites because of its Baroque-theme.

Miyazaki has successfully combined

the many intricate and formidable 

human emotions, as he captures in all

of his works, with the magical Japanese-perspective of 19th century Europe. These two elements make Howl's Moving Castle an excellent motion picture with a very unique aura, if you compare it to any other

movie. If you have never seen Howl's Moving Castle or any of Miyazaki's other works, I highly recommend it. 

THE STORY: 

The story follows Sofi, a young, lonely woman who works in a hat shop. After encountering the charming wizard Howl, she is cursed by the Witch of the Waste and is turned into a 90-year old woman. Sofi is now whisked into the wonderful castle of Howl's; as she attempts to find the cure to her spell, she also finds herself becoming closer with the notorious but heartless Howl, who brought something vivid into her life. The story tends to get slightly perplexing if you are not used to Miyazaki's works, but the perfect formula of a complicated story and handsome art style will take your breath away. This movie tends to give many details about each character, such as Howl and his former mentor, Madam Suliman, Calcifer and his correlation with Howl, or even Turnip-head and his fondness for Sofi. Not many animated films put so much focus and soul into each character, which also makes this piece count.

RAVE, AND RECONSIDER:

Rave: Backgrounds did it for me. Studio Ghibli always presents us with beautiful hand painted back drops to accompany their characters, but Howl's Moving Castle contains some of the most elaborate Ghibli has given us so far. 

Reconsider: Is it ever possible for a film to...overwhelm us? Yes. Although Howl's Moving Castle raises the bar high for every animation out there, the story was overflowing with aspects of the plot that didn't really intertwine together as they do in other Studio Ghibli movies. There were many subplots but not all of them pointed to the main focuses of the film which gave it an almost perplexing feel. But then again, that is why this film could be considered to be so unique.

So, there you have it. Howl's Moving Castle is a must-see and will appeal to anyone who enjoys a heart-felt and imaginative movie.