Still Walking (Japan)

Ah - this is what a festival is supposed to feel like. There's actually not a lot I want to say about this simple little picture. The less you know the better it is.

A son returns home to his aging parents on the anniversary of his brother's death. Along with him is his new wife and her son. There's drama of course, but with a lowercase d - very understated but often far more powerful than the volume it's expressed at. According to the festival guide it's what would be called a "home drama" in Japan. In this case it's just a solid - well acted movie following a family through a challenging 24 hours. Some funny moments, some sad but a very real feeling experience. All this while still managing to look like a true film vs. the reality show look that too often accompanies the "small" film on the festival circuit.

I'm hoping this is a positive sign for the next day or so. I'd had a run of decent but not great - so it's really cool to see something I totally enjoyed and can recommend.

Speaking of recommend. If you're reading this and haven't already go buy tickets for Sita Sings the Blues (and give Cherry Blossoms - Hanami a try too). Sita's unlikely to come back and last I heard DVD was even looking doubtful. I've yet to meet anyone who's seen it who wasn't impressed.