Kite

A surprisingly sentimental film from Takahisa Zeze. This isn't the first drama he tackles of course, but he usually brings a bit of grit to the table. Kite seems to be his attempt at delivering a blockbuster drama. I'm not sure if it worked out for Zeze, but it's certainly not the direction I want to see him continue in.

Yasuo grew up an orphan, when he finally meets the right woman he gets his life on the rails. The two of them have a son together and they are happy, but when Yasuo's wife tries to save her boy at work she pays the ultimate price. Yasuo will have to go on alone while facing some of his old demons.

The cast is solid and the drama has potential, but Zeze forgoes subtlety. A somewhat cheesy and heavy soundtrack sets the tone, and the glossy cinematography and strong focus on the drama do little to hide the film's tear-jerker sensibilities. There are some decent moments, but overall it's a bit disappointing.