10) The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya (Oct. 17)
The 19th title from Studio Ghibli and an instant frontrunner to take home the Best Animated Feature award at the next Oscars – given that Big Hero 6 does not pull in front – Princess Kaguya could be one of the last films North Americans see from the studio in some time, until it returns from a hiatus. It is also the first title from Grave of the Fireflies director Isao Takahata in 15 years, which should mean this drama packs quite the emotional punch.
Bridging the gap between magic and realism in a way that Studio Ghibli knows best, Princess Kaguya tells the story of Okina, a bamboo cutter in rural Japan who finds a small creature in a grove. This creature grows to become Kaguya (voiced by Chloe Grace Moretz in the English dub), who grows at a speed the rest of the village is unaccustomed to. As she becomes a woman, Kaguya must deal with her magical abilities in a very dark world. Actors such as Lucy Liu, Beau Bridges, James Marsden and James Caan round out the English voice cast.
The film is inspired by an old Japanese folk tale and could be the swan song for its revered animation master. The look is vastly different from the brightness and tidiness of Miyazaki’s filmography, but has a textured, hand-drawn quality that should make its visual presentation one-of-a-kind. Although the film did not perform to par with Ghibli’s other films in Japan, strong reviews and a surefire spot in the Animated Feature category could earn Kaguya some love in foreign markets.