Layton Kyouju to Eien no Utahime, aka Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, was my first flirty encounter of films from groups other than Ghibili. Since childhood I have been a passionate fan of the games, and I feel that passion came from the creators. The soundtrack of this film, the key focus, is perfect, inflicting nostalgia within each piece- that includes the original key score!
Nostalgia is nurtured inside the heart, growing with each recollection of a scene or song. It blooms into a fond memory you frame and cherish. To anyone who has ever played the game the songs are instantly recognisable. The music box puzzle song, the haunting violins that swoop in victory and curl your toes in delight. If the games soundtrack (aka The Curious Village) would be called the CD album, the film plays with the vinyl. The rich sounds, the beautiful vocals, the haunting melodies. Professor Layton is a series built on its puzzles, it's true- but the movie understood that the atmosphere that comes with the orchestra was the key.
As it is based on a puzzle game, you have to look at the puzzles presented in the film. The first puzzle on the ship teases you delightfully with logic, tugging at the strings of your heart, tiptoes up the ridges of your spine. True, the puzzles are easy to solve, but even so you feel triumphant.
The story compliments the Layton name, it is delightfully ridiculous and so gloriously extravagant that you recall the absurd plotlines of the game series, the strange meanders and twists. While it's not the most complicated plot, it serves alongside the other elements to highlight the key focus.
If, somehow someway, you haven't played one of the games or watched the film, go play it. Let it sit, crawl into the recesses of the mind and the heart, burn into your memory until that warm feeling rises with the crescendo of the violins. Then watch this film.
