Ichiban utsukushî natsu

This film mainly focuses on the interaction between Naomi, a high school student living in the big city Nagoya, and Ms. Koide, an Alzheimer's sufferer living in the countryside (filmed in Shinshiro, in the same prefecture as Nagoya). Naomi tends to skip classes and play around with her friends, so her father takes her to stay at her aunt's inn, and she is assigned to take care of Ms. Koide. The two are quite different in age and upbringing, but as Naomi asks Ms. Koide about her past, they talk freely little by little. At first Naomi is disgusted with life in the rural area, but her feelings change as she interacts with not only Ms. Koide, but also a young man at a liquor store and her cousin who is awfully close to her.

The film proceeds with a leisurely pace, showing the Japanese countryside with its impressive bright greenery. It may be boring for people who favor constant action scenes. However, the actors' performances are generally natural, and together with the beautiful scenery and not excessive music, it immerses us in the film and does not feel redundant. The second half gives the impression of many sudden events, perhaps in an attempt to add ups and downs in the story. There were so few explanations of causes and motives, which I felt expedited the complexity of this film, requiring the viewer's imagination to supplement the story. In particular, there were few scenes in which Naomi conversed with her parents, and it was difficult to guess the background and the relationship between them along with a feeling of scarcity.

Although there are a few parts that lack explanation, the film is easy to watch with an understandable plot. Recommended for those who want to feel summer.