Mary and the Witch's Flower is the debit feature of Studio Ponoc, which is a studio founded to continue the storytelling legacy of the magnificent Studio Ghibli, from which many of the Ponoc staff graduated. The studio's name, Ponoc, is pronounced "Ponotch", which is Croatian for "Midnight", the end of one day and the beginning of the next. Producer Yoshiaki Nishimura (the Oscar Nominated features When Marnie Was There and Tales of Princess Kaguya) is clear in his intent that Ponoc be the continuation of a storytelling from. This is certainly realised in the studio's debut feature, Mary and the Witch's Flower.
The film is certainly familiar ground, this time adapting another British story, The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart. The author hails from County Durham, a mere 40 minutes from where I live, so I'm naturally predisposed to be proud of the project from the beginning! The fact that the anime has grossed $41 million worldwide doesn't hurt either.
The story centres around a lonely young girl called Mary Smith. She finds herself in unfamiliar territory, living with her Great Aunt in a beautiful house in rural England. Having grown up in very similar surroundings, I felt rather nostalgic seeing the crumbling stone walls, sprawling fields and woods that contained an aura of mystery. I spent many days in my youth exploring the local woods, and discovering oddities that beguile young minds. The details are everything, and despite the occasional Japanese social element slipping in (Mary bows when introducing herself in the mirror for example), other little details like wearing shoes indoors are very English traits. In all, I felt the film portrayed the story's cultural heritage very well, and certainly captured the essence of an idyllic country village. It reminded me a little of Helmsley actually, though the area where I grew up, on the border or Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, also bears a striking resemblance at points.
Mary, who clearly finds herself lost in her new environment, makes a friend in a local cat named Tib, who leads her to a blue flower which the estate gardner identifies as a "Fly-by-Night". This strange flower that blooms every seven years can grant the powers of a witch for a single night. A fairly simple premise that is explored through beautiful, imaginative animation and attention to detail that rival studios would envy.
From here the adventure begins, and while I won't go into spoilers, some of the ideas portrayed through the animation are stunning. My personal favourite is Mary's first journey above the clouds on her broomstick, where she spies a spiralling storm of clouds into which the little broomstick dives into. There are many moments like this scattered throughout the film which make for an exciting and unexpected journey from start to finish.
There are certainly many similarities to Studio Ghibli, which given the intent of Studio Ponoc is not the criticism you might expect. The film does take a lot of cues from Ghibli classics like Laputa and Spirited Away, but thanks to the expert direction and standout set-pieces provided by the story, this is no bad thing.
The British voice actors do a fine job with the script. Ruby Barnhill (The BFG) converys convincing emotional range as the titular Mary, which is quite the responsibility given that this performance has to carry the film. Kate Winslet as Madam Mumblechook is ably assisted by Jim Broadbent, two classic British talents that earn their paychecks with entertaining turns as the dotty villains of the piece. It's also nice to hear Ewen Bremner take on the endearing character of Flanagan, something of a break from the incredibly disturbed performances he excels in given his roles in Trainspotting and Wonder Woman! Louis Ashbourne Serkis (yes, son of Andy Serkis) gets less to do as Peter, but works well with what he's given. His constant teasing of Mary as a red-haired monkey even pays off in the film later on, and it's delivered with an endearing cheek.
The steelbook edition I ordered came with an unexpected surprise, a copy of the translated script! It's a lovely little keepsake and is now sat on my bookshelf looking rather splendid. The disc is crammed with extras, including features, press launches and interviews with the studio heads. I recommend watching all of these, and hats of to Altitude Films for delivering a meaty package at an excellent price.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Mary and the Witch's Flower. The tale is told with a great deal of love and affection for the characters and the countryside, and if these are the core characteristics Studio Ponoc has taken from their time under Miyazaki's tutelage, then this is a fine start to what promises to be an illustrious future for the sons and daughters of Studio Ghibli. I look forward to many more features to come.
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