Well it's going to be a tough call come 2010. I have just seen the two best animated films from 2009, and cannot fathom which is better than the other. But does that really matter? Do Oscar's really matter at the end of the day? The way I see it just having people appreciate your movie should be thanks enough.
The two films I am talking about are, of course, (Disney) Pixar's Up and Studio Ghibli's Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea. Two beautiful films from the two best (in my opinion) animation studios on the planet. Both of them keep to the same rule: that storytelling is key. And let's face it, it's paid off for both of them. They should be proud, and I bet they are.
I'll start with Ponyo, which I saw in it's original Japanese, as it's not currently available on DVD over here. And to be honest, Ghibli films always sound much better in their original language.
Ponyo, it has been confirmed, is based on Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid, another of my favourite classics. Ponyo is a little fish who lives with her sisters and human/sorceror father in a submarine under the sea. But Ponyo, who is developing much quicker than her sisters, dreams of a life outside her home. One day she sneaks off and travels to the surface world on a jellyfish. There, she is rescued from a bottle by a little boy called Sosuke (who gives her her name), who befriends her and promises to keep her safe forever.But Ponyo's father is furious and takes her home where Ponyo rebels and uses her powers to become human. She escapes her home for good, accidently releasing a dark power that threatens the planet. The only way this disaster can be reversed is if Sosuke can truly learn to love Ponyo for who she is, thus removing her powers and making her a fully-fledged human girl.
The film's premise is simple, innocent and beautifully rendered in traditional 2D animation, as is the style of this fantastic company. There are plenty of laughs and a few tears but it's a great films for kids and adults alike, maybe even more so for the adults. After the bore that was Tales of Earth Sea, it's good to see that Ghibli is back to it's inspiring self. This is possibly their greatest film yet.
And then there's Up. As a huge Pixar fan I make a point of seeing every one of their films as soon as they're released into cinemas, and they have never left me disappointed. Up is no exception. It's gorgeous, it's funny, but most of all, it's heart-breakingly lovable. Seriously, I don't think there was a dry eye in the house during the first ten minutes, even my boyfriend was tearful (sorry Dan, the world needs to know!) And if you're not crying during the sentimental scenes, you will be when you meet the mean dogs who're after our heroes. I wont mention anymore, but that it was just such a funny scene, and so unexpected.The story starts in the childhood days of Carl Frederickson, a pioneer of his favourite TV Show, "The Wilderness must be explored!" He imagines a life full of adventure and travelling. But in modern day America he is old, grey and lonely, and his beloved house is about to be bulldozed. Carl decides that the only way to finally stick-it to the corporate giants, trying to re-house him, is to escape the city and finally fullfil his lifelong dream of journeying to South America. He does this by attaching thousands of balloons to his house, and floating away in it.
Along the way he accidently picks up an eight-year-old Wilderness explorer who is out to earn his final badge for Assisting the Elderly; a talking Dog, Pixar-style; and a mysterious rare bird called Kevin.
Adventures arise in all sorts of situations, and hilarity is inevitable when you have talking dogs and bizarre birds in the cast, but the films most powerful moments are always the most emotional scenes. There's a strong message of following your dreams, keeping promises and an underlying theme of father-and-son bonding, but this in no way means it's a film just for the male-half of film-goers. I really enjoyed it, and as far as I've heard so has everyone else who has seen it. I always say to people that Pixar never let me down, and I stand by that remark.
So who will win the Oscar this year? Do I really care? No, I would rather people just watch both movies and enjoy them as I did. Oscars are not the most important thing in the world.
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