Couple of films I watched recently:
Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion - 3/10
Okay, we've got a giant flying egg, a place of indeterminate nature called Paradise run by a disembodied head, an openly homosexual dolphin and his cyborg partner, sky sharks, and lots and lots of dreadfully boring casino porn (the nadir of which was the pretentious dialogue exchange between Balot and the dealer). The First Compression had some oddities of its own but nothing like this, and more importantly it was actually entertaining. I struggled to stay awake during The Second Combustion. Gets three points for the nice visuals, naked Balot, and what the hell, the sheer barmy audacity of the sky sharks.
Arrietty - 8/10
I was immediately charmed by Ghibli's renowned creativity and attention to detail: just watching the Borrowers go about their daily lives, every little movement and expression beautifully animated, filled me with the kind of joy I only seem to get from Ghibli movies. The plot meandered along, though, and Arrietty's old man had all the personality of a plank of wood. I watched the UK dub and wish I hadn't because Sho's voice was like nails on a chalkboard. Arrietty's was okay but, based on my quick sample of the JP track, lacked the slightly masculine/tomboyish quality of her Japanese counterpart. Still, I mostly loved the film and will watch again. In the original language next time.