HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE

Director: Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones.

2004, 119, PG

Cast: Voice Actors: Jean Simmons, Emily Mortimer, Lauren Bacall, Christian Bale, Billy Crystal.

 

When Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle was released in 2004, it was still marginalized as a movie for kids or anime ‘geeks.’ Today Miyazaki’s movies (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke) are recognized as a fabulous contribution to world cinema. Come and enjoy (on the ginormous single screen) the adventures of 18-year-old Sophie, a villager who tiptoes between monstrous villains (The Witch of the Waste, who takes away her youth), and unexpected friends (Howl, Turnip Head, and Heel, a perfect dog with a loyal heart.) An anti-war film made in reaction to the Iraq War, Miyazaki calls it his favorite work so far. “I want to convey the message that life is worth living, and I don’t think that’s changed.”