2020 / 91m - Japan
Drama
3.5*/5.0*
All the Things We Never Said poster

Watches

August 16, 2021

3.5*/5.0*

Ishii tackles Japan's problems with communication, doing so with Hong Kong money. The film is part of the Back 2 Basics program that yielded six films in total. And it does feel like a smaller film for Ishii, even when he never really made anything grand or epic. The quality is still there though.

Atsuhisa is a pretty ordinary guy, living together with his wife and 5-year-old daughter. Nothing seems off, until Atsuhisa comes home one day and finds his wife in bed with another man. Atsuhisa is overflowing with emotions, but he can't talk to his wife and not much later, they're divorced.

Japan is known for its more silent, reticent dramas, which generally work very well for me. This introverted behavior and lack of communication comes with its own set of issues, and it's nice to see Ishii addressing these head on. Performances are great, the drama feels genuine and even though the limit budget shines through, it doesn't affect the quality of the film too much. Another solid Ishii.