Ponyo

I’ll be honest here; I am often easily excited about new movies. From the very beginning Ponyo claimed my heart; partly because of the oh-so catchy and fun theme song performed by Disney friends Noah Cyrus and Frankie Jonas. The story of Ponyo takes us into Japan for a modern-day Little Mermaid tale. Ponyo is a very friendly little fish with magical powers who meets a young boy, Sosuke, after a short time with her new friend Ponyo decides to become human, too. The animation in this film is incredibly beautiful; Miyazaki creates rich landscapes and adorably expressive faces in Ponyo. I cannot wait to see this film again and again. It was incredibly uplifting and silly and very smart. Children will love this tale, as will many more who appreciate the anime style of filmmaking. Ponyo will have you singing its’ praises; don’t walk, run to theatres!

Genre: Family, Anime
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Language: English
Year: 2009 (American release)

Fargo

Oh, Coen brothers...

Fargo, based on true events, is a pitch-perfect tale of kidnapping-for-hire gone terribly wrong; the Coen brothers absolutely are brilliant storytellers. With a cast to die for, Fargo is a must see if you appreciate subtle humor and small-town police work. Frances McDormand is a sharp as ever playing the chief of police assigned to investigate a triple homicide. McDormand is accompanied by a superbly hilarious cast of wacky characters; including dim-witted criminals (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare), a desperate car salesman (William H. Macy), and countless stereotypical Midwesterners. If you haven’t seen Fargo, please do; and if you have, see it again, and remind yourself how much you love this strange tale.

Genre: Comedy
Director: Joel Coen
Language: English
Year: 1996