"I may have come close... But I never had what you two have."

There is an unbelievably strong feeling of nostalgia present within this film. While I've never been to the places these characters go to nor the situations they deal with in their lives, it always feels like I'm looking back on a deeply personal memory from many summers ago. The way the visuals and sound arranged, you can almost feel the environment, like you can smell the air and the scent of the river. The environment also seems to change with the emotions of Ellio. It seems like every detail was picked to transfix the viewer into this world, this perspective. From the sounds of cars driving by in the middle of town to the windy, echoing crickets in the forest. The only other examples I can think of that gives me this feeling are some of the films of Andrei Tarkovsky and the animation of nature in the works of Hayao Miyazaki.

I don't know how in depth I can go with this film, because most of what makes it so beautiful, for me at least, is hard to put into words. I might have to think about it for a bit, but this might be my favorite film of the year. This was one of the few times where I never wanted the film to end. Every single aspect is perfect and I can't recommend enough. The best way I can describe this film is that its like therapy for the heart and the senses.

100/100