Kaguyahime no monogatari 2013

Mary Houlihan, Chicago Sun-Times: It's the beautiful and breathtaking animation that gives The Tale of the Princess Kaguya a luster that is both simple and sophisticated. Read more

Maggie Lee, Variety: Isao Takahata's retelling of the oldest recorded Japanese narrative is a visionary tour de force. Read more

David Ehrlich, AV Club: Distills a millennium of Japanese storytelling into a timeless film that feels both ancient and alive in equal measure. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: It's the best kind of fairy tale - tough, deep and meaningful, with a heroine who stays true to herself in spite of shallow temptations. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: If there's a message here about the foolhardiness of parental expectations, it fades away in the face of the film's rapturous visuals. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: One can only hope Ghibli maintains a creative standard as high as his. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: What makes "Princess Kaguya" stick in emotional terms? Its depiction of an extraordinary girl, learning for herself that a life without real joy and spontaneity is only a shadow of a life. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: This delicate, hand-drawn marvel is lyrical and heartbreaking in ways that most live-action movies never approach. Read more

Nancy Churnin, Dallas Morning News: The hand-drawn details are breathtaking, with a cautionary and compelling story for tweens and older kids to share with their parents. Read more

Joe McGovern, Entertainment Weekly: A lovely, glacially told gem from animator Isao Takahata, the 78-year-old cofounder with Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. Read more

Leslie Felperin, Hollywood Reporter: It's a lovely piece of work. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya" is a marvel of Japanese animation, a hand-drawn, painterly epic that submerges us in a world of beauty. Read more

Randy Myers, San Jose Mercury News: With no bombast whatsoever, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya manages to stir the soul. Read more

Ella Taylor, NPR: Like all fairy tales worth their salt, the movie trusts children to take on the big themes of life, death and despair included, and thus removes the sting. Read more

Graham Fuller, New York Daily News: An allegory about the irrecoverable joys of childhood, it may make parents hug their kids now. Read more

Nicolas Rapold, New York Times: Exquisitely drawn with both watercolor delicacy and a brisk sense of line, the film finds a peculiarly moving undertow of feeling in a venerable Japanese folk tale about a foundling country girl who can't shake a sense of being out of place. Read more

G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle: Although most know the name Hayao Miyazaki, there are many wonderful directors under the Ghibli umbrella, and Isao Takahata is as great as they come. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: A real treat for animation fans, although its meditative pace may test the patience of younger viewers. Read more

Inkoo Kang, TheWrap: It's wondrous to watch the enchanted Princess, given a title but not a name, swell instantly into twice her size in the arms of the Bamboo Cutter's wife. Read more

Alex Dudok de Wit, Time Out: Plays out as a wistful, slow-burning romance, underscored with a streak of social satire and animated in exquisitely subtle pastels and watercolours. Read more

Sherilyn Connelly, Village Voice: Notably, the original story was called "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter," but Takahata's title puts the focus where it belongs. Read more

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture: Based on an old, popular Japanese legend, it starts off like an odd little fable, but then its expansive sadness sneaks up on you. Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: It's more deeply satisfying and complex than similar, Hollywood-produced fare - like fine wine compared with Kool-Aid. Read more