An understated, melancholic Japanese drama about grief and grappling with dementia. In this case, main character Takaaki has to deal with his father, who suffers from dementia, and old wounds from a traffic accident where he lost his brother.
The film deserves praise for tackling heavy themes in a natural, subtle way. Like many other Japanese indie dramas, in fact. Its greatest assets also tend to make it feel samey, as it flows quietly, but rather uneventfully through daily routines. The naturalism on display, whether we're referring to realistic acting or the film's slice-of-life feel, is something many will appreciate and rightfully so. But I expected something more memorable or at least a bit more original.
It's not that I dislike conventional films, but after you see a lot of them with similar themes, they tend to become a bit of a chore. This one doesn't if you're armed with some patience, but it is kinda dragged out. Scenes start to feel padded out to make the film reach its near-2-hour runtime.
There is an element of mystery introduced soon after the film's start. That was what intrigued me the most here, as it adds a healthy dose of food-for-thought to a relatively simple narrative. It doesn't seem to develop into much, though. However, it does blend into the story nicely and certainly doesn't detract from the film's overall quality.
In spite of all my gripes mentioned above, this is worthy of a recommendation to serious-minded audiences. Just know that you need to keep your expectations in check.
