A heartfelt Letter

It's never easy overcoming the death of loved one; the emotions that swallow us to the point where we can't speak, the questions that race through our head such as "Why did this happen?" or "Could I have done things differently?" It's an experience that no one can ever truly prepare for but one that everyone will go through at some point. In A Letter to Momo, 11 year-old Momo Miyaura (Amanda Pace) is a girl who moves from Tokyo to her mother's childhood home island after recently losing her father; their last conversation turned into an argument, with Momo's final words to her father were "I don't care if you come back." Some time after his death, Momo finds an unfinished letter from her 

Momo's letter from her father

father on his desk with only the words "Dear Momo" written on it. Without any idea what her father intended to say, Momo saves the letter, pondering what he wanted to tell her. It captivates much of her attention that she doesn't assimilate well to her new home or make an effort to meet new friends. One day home alone, Momo hears a noise coming from the attic. As she investigates the noises, she notices several shadow figures that no one else can see but her. Unable to convince her mother about the figures, Momo takes it upon herself to uncover what's going on. As it turns out, the mysterious shadow figures are actually imps called Kawa (Dana Snyder), Iwa (Fred Tatasciore) and Mame (Bob Bergen). What Momo doesn't know is that their presence is tied with her arriving on the island as well

Momo with the imps Kawa and Iwa

as her father's letter. It's evident that the storytelling and style of A Letter to Momo borrows many elements from Miyazaki films such as Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, but it does enough to distinguish itself as its' own creation. The English dub is top-notch, nothing short of quality considering GKIDS handled the both the distribution and translation. What I really loved about the movie is how well it handles the themes of grief and acceptance, never underwhelming or overwhelming the comedic and fantasy elements of the film; a perfect balance that stays consistent from

beginning to end. A Letter to Momo is that rare anime film that not only rivals the same quality as seen in any of Pixar's films but also handles its mature subjects incredibly well for a family film. It's that kind of movie that stays with you long after you've finished watching, whether it be the dazzling animation or the warm message of the importance of family and finding closure.
 
-Reviewed by Razor, 2/20/15