From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)

[コクリコ坂から]

Director: Goro Miyazaki
Starring: Masami Nagasawa, Junichi Okada, Keiko Takeshita

Synopsis:
High school students fight to keep their clubhouse from being demolished.

Impressions:
While I'm more sympathetic to Goro Miyazaki's first directorial outing than a lot of people, I have to admit that he's significantly improved his craft this time around. One thing you need to bear in mind that this is a simple slice of life story with a little melodrama added in to color the conflict. If you're expecting a big story with fantastical elements, you're going to be disappointed. Obviously, I didn't live in Japan during the 60s, but the sense of nostalgia is clearly communicated. I would compare it to American Graffitti but with student activism instead of cars. It's a well-made film with some good character dynamics that's well worth seeing. If you were a bit underwhelmed by Tales from Earthsea, give the younger Miyazaki another shot and give this one a watch.

Rating:
Watch It