Storied director and animator Hayao Miyazaki has promised and failed to retire countless times, but if The Boy & The Heron is any indication of the stories he has left to tell, I pray he keeps faking us out.

A soulful, beautiful and genuinely funny feature from Studio Ghibli, this semi-autobiographical film marks one of the best efforts of the year.

It follows 12-year-old Mahito, who is reeling from the death of his mother in a fire in Japan during WWII. He goes to live with his new stepmother and father, but his isolation and sadness are upended by a speaking heron.

The bird leads him to a new dimension, as he explores his past and familial ties. I don’t want to give any more away, but will just say it’s a visually-compelling, emotional ride.

The animation is stunning, the story is intricately-told and intimate, and the characters and wonderfully three-dimensional. This one deserves Best Animated Feature, and was recently nominated for a Golden Globe.

While the trailers heavily advertised a star-studded voice cast for the dubbed version, I saw this in original Japanese, and was happy I didn’t have familiar voices to distract me from the story.

This is a monumental effort, and one best-suited for the big-screen. There are few films this year as resonant as this one.

4.5/5 Stars