Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (Spirited Away)

Four years since Princess Mononoke, Hayao Miyazaki has done it again. Each time his new film comes out, expectations are so high that many of us just wonder how can he possibly top his previous work. To our amazement, that's just what he accomplishes each time bringing added depth to his work. Winner of several international film awards (including the Golden Berlin Bear at Berlin International Film Festival, the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Asian Film, and the Japanese Academy Award for Best Picture), Spirited Away charms us by presenting the power of life through the adventures of its 10-year-old heroine, Chihiro who learns the "joy of giving" in spite of her predicament. Like some of the Miyazaki's other works, the film's world is inhabited by a throng of unique characters. Here, we have Haku (the mysterious boy who helps Chihiro), Yubaba (the witch who runs the public bath house), Kamajii (the boiler keeper), Kaonashi (the faceless spirit), Susuwatari (those creatures we had previously met in Totoro), and a host of others. Through its visual feast and wondrous tale sprung out of Miyazaki's unparalleled imagination, Spirited Away offers both a magical thrill-ride and a very satisfying spiritual journey for everyone who was once 10 years old, and those who will be.