The Borrowers (1998)

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

The Clock family are Borrowers - small people living in hiding and borrowing full size human stuff for their homes. Dad Pod Clock has kept his family at home, so daughter Arietty and son Peagreen have no idea of a wider world, they only know that the first rule of being a Borrower is not to be seen by the big people. But Arietty is not only seen but captured by young Pete Lender, which coincides with the lenders being forcibly (and illegally) evicted by wicked property developer Potter so that he can demolish their home.This film has an air about it of using the original idea (I have not read the source material, so I don't know) and then doing its own thing with it: if so, it's not bad. The story fairly whizzes along, with John Goodman's Potter a suitably cartoon villain (just as well, given the Wile E. Coyote-type retributions he suffers for his wickedness). Production design is intriguing: the Borrowers world is nicely realised, and the larger world is based on 1950s Britain, but with many stylistic weirdnesses: heavy urban industrialisation, driving on the right, everybody in Morris Minors, mobile phones and monochrome TVs, and a colour palette comprising saturated secondary colours.The cast is good, and it is interesting to see a very young Tom Felton, unrecognisable under corkscrew ginger wig and huge false gap teeth. Only Flora Newbigin as Arietty disappoints, with some line readings which ring false.

If you forgive the fact that there are slow moments in the plot, this is a truly delightful family film. There are some genuinely funny and heart warming moments in the script, the costumes are colourful and the sets and scenery are quite elaborate. The part with Ocious and the Exterminator trying to demolish the house is one of many hilarious parts of the movie. Of course though it is indeed the special effects that steal the show, highly imaginative and clever. The film is directed by Peter Hewitt who also directed Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, and is fairly solid. As for the acting it was great. While there is a hilarious supporting turn from Mark Williams as the Exterminator, and fine support from British thespians Hugh Laurie, an adorable Tom Felton and Celia Imrie, two casting members stood out. One was Jim Broadbent, while he has been better, he is in good form as the father of the tiny Clocks. The other, and the more obvious one, is a perfectly cast John Goodman as the unscrupulous lawyer Ocious P. Potter. The music is great as well.All in all, a pretty darn good family film. Not perfect, but well worth the watch. 9/10 Bethany Cox

It was a good film but I feel it does not compare to any of the Disney movies or any Harry Potter movie. The story line was great but the cinematography wasn't very good. The best part of the whole movie was the little Tom Felton. He is an amazing actor and that is why I say it is a good film to see, but there are definitely better ones out there. Especially if you want to see more of Tom Felton, I would recommend the Harry Potter films. The funny thing is, he doesn't even think he wants acting for a career. He is more of a fisherman. Go figure. Anyway, The Borrowers is an older movie now and the Special Effects really don't stand up to other movies now. Unfortunately it was a good movie when it came out but now I may think otherwise. I give The Borrowers 7/10 stars.

Normally I am not the kind of guy who is into familymovies as they all rely a bit too much on the silly parts of the human brains so I watched it as there was nothing else on telly, not expecting one good thing from it. But I was utterly charmed by it... Not that it are little people as I saw that trick too many times (Honey I shrunk the kids, Willow or even in the fourties there was Tom Thumb) but just because of the great decors! This movie takes place in the fifties and everything is made with a huge nostalgia sense (from the cars to the food the Borrowers are borrowing). In some house a boy discovers that there are little creatures living under the floor, once the family is out they "borrow" stuff to keep their household going on and it's like Indiana Jones filmed in Disneystyle (just watch the scene in where the daughter is stuck in the refrigerator). Sadly enough the little family Clock or played by redheads who all talk in a very Irish way and they play in such an arrogant Robin Hoodway that you wanna put your feet on them the moment they catch your eyes, just like John Goodman who in slapstickstyle who plays the role of a corrupt advocate who'd stolen the testament of the family so he can build his building complex (where have we heard this before?). The big family Lender and the Borrowers join hands to rescue the house and during 90 minutes the sole option that is left for director Peter Hewitt (who is now directing Garfield) is the chase for The Borrowers in where Goodman gets the help of some funny guy whose job is exterminating insects or little creatures. This is the kind of movie that can end up like The Flinstones or Scooby Doo but director Hewitt saves it all thanks to the impressive decors, the very nice special effects and a godlike performance from Goodman (who is just doing his usual thing). Not outstanding but it feels like this movie is over in 15 minutes just because of its charming slapstickstyle. Not a monument at all but a perfect movie to relive the child in you even if most of the kids won't be happy by the childish approach (the kids of today aren't living in the fifties you know...)