Ponyo

Hiyao Miyazaki's new film, Ponyo on a Cliff By the Sea to give it its original English-language title, has all of this film-maker's unworldliness and charm. The distinctive, hand-drawn animations may be a tougher sell to children or, ­indeed, adults who have got used to glitzier digital work and snappier scripts, but I think he will always have a place in the heart of everyone who ­appreciates his distinctive allure. ­Ponyo is a little fish who, to the fury of her wizard master escapes the domain of the sea and ­befriends a lonely little boy. Miyazaki's is a gentle narrative art, but with ­moments of ambiguity and strangeness: I loved Ponyo's face looming up to that of a crying baby: a silent moment held just long enough to be disturbing. This film will be loved by those who admire the intricacy and power of his Howl's Moving Castle and the great Spirited Away. It is an arresting work from an unmistakable film-making personality.