Review of 'A Letter to Momo (Momo e no tegami)'

a_letter_to_momo.jpg Hyper-realistic animation is the order of the day with this wonderful film from Hiroyuki Okiura.

Momo (Karen Miyama) is a young girl who begins the film with her eyes downcast as she moves with her mother out of Tokyo to a Japanese island village. Her father recently passed away and she is obsessed with guilt about having yelled at him the last time she saw him. The title's letter refers to a scrap of paper she finds in her father's office with simply the words “Dear Momo” in her father's handwriting.

In her new home, Momo, soon finds that three goblins have been sent to protect her and her mother. The troublesome goblins add a touch of humour to an otherwise quite emotional film and brings Momo back to life. As the film progresses her shell begins to crack as she opens up to both her mother and others on the island. Where have the goblins come from and what do they want?

Incredibly well animated, A Letter to Momo is wonderful to look at and with a passionate and caring storyline. The characterisation is spot on with just the write amount of humour to match the serious nature of the emotions involved. An intriguing mix of realistic animation depicting often fantastic events in a convincing fashion. Amazing and touching.

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2012-06-10


Directed by: Hiroyuki Okiura

Studio: Production I.G.

Year: 2011

Length: 120 minutes

Genre: Japanese Animation

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1853614/