Movies
A pretty challenging drama about two kids who ran away from home together. Dubious morality, powerhouse performances and strong character drama raise this film above the many Japanese dramas out there. It failed to make a big splash upon its original release, but if you think you can stomach a darker version of Koreeda's films, then you should definitely give this one a go.
A nice mix of fantasy, romance, and drama, but not quite as touching as I remembered it to be. It's one of those films I watched quite early on in my quest to explore Japanese cinema, so back then it probably felt more unique. Almost 2000 films later, I've seen this mix of genres done better. In a small, remote Japanese village, dead people are resurrection out of thin air, returning to their loved ones. Not in any zombie kind of way, they just reappear as they were, getting a second chance to live their life. A young inspector goes out there to investigate the phenomenon and falls in love with one of the resurrected people. It's a nice setup, somewhat original for a drama, with solid performances. The presentation is a tad too slick and the drama a bit too sentimental. There's also an extended concert sequence at the end that could've been cut short to ease the runtime. Overall, still very much worth a watch, but not the hidden gem I once thought it was.Read all
