3/17/2012- S.Barton
A Letter to Momo (Momo E No Tegami) is the second film from Hiroyuki Okiura, director of the internationally acclaimed Jin-Roh. The film took seven years of planning, writing, story-boarding; along with a powerhouse animation team, including Toshiyuki Inoue (Akira), Ei Inoue (The Cat Returns), Takeshi Honda (Evangelion 2:0), Tetsuya Nishio (Ghost In the Shell 2). It’s an exquisitely hand-drawn animated film that is well worth the wait.
The last time Momo saw her father they had a fight. All she has left to remember him by is an incomplete letter, simply saying “Dear Momo”. Momo and her mother move from bustling city of Tokyo to the remote Japanese island of Shio. Momo searches for closure as tries to figure out her father’s last words. She soon discovers goblins living in her attic; a trio of mischievous spirits who have been assigned to watch over her. They cause her nothing but trouble, and she’s the only one who can see them.
The subject of loss is difficult to convey on film, let alone in an animated one. Hiroyuki Okiura approaches it in a way that that is delicate and heartwarming. The goblins playful antics are charming, and provide a much-needed sense of humor; making A Letter to Momo an instant classic.
Off the Record 