Spirited Away
Starring (the voices of): Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Yumi Tamai
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
The film: Japan's animation master Hayao Miyazaki did the unthinkable with Spirited Away - he surpassed his fabulous Princess Mononoke (1997), a film that had set box office records in his homeland. But Spirited Away became the most-watched Japanese film of all time and picked up the Oscar for best animated feature this year.
Spirited Away has charm in spades. It's a fairy tale in the classic sense. A young girl, Chihiro (below), finds herself lost and alone in another world and must make her way home. From the start we know this is no ordinary lass. When her parents stumble upon an abandoned theme park, it is Chihiro who senses danger and calls for caution. But her parents don't listen, and they soon fall under a spell.
Chihiro finds herself in the place where all the gods go for a little R&R - full of the most strange and wonderful creatures you could imagine. The animation is not of the heavy-handed Hollywood variety: Miyazaki uses a much lighter brushstroke - and to quite stunning effect.