This film's name is "Our Little Sister" or "Umimachi Diary" and I find the title with "diary" very fitting because the movie really feels like watching a diary entry in motion picture form. We basically follow the lives of 4 young Japanese females and their joy and struggles in life. It's not really equal as we find out more about some than about others. When their father dies, they meet their half-sister for the first time and instantly make a connection through which they decide to take her in and live with her in the future. I have see many Japanese(-themed) films in the past and favorites include "Lost in Translation" and "Okuribito". I always found their culture fairly interesting. Their approach to film is also pretty similar most of the time. These films are not really about a lot happening and most of them are very slow in terms of the action. It's more about character study than real drama.
Still, I am not saying there is no drama in this film here. One of the most interesting aspects is probably when one of the girls is in the process of moving into a similar role like the woman who "took" their father from them when they were a lot younger. There are maybe one or two scenes that felt a bit cheesy like the screaming about the father and mother near the end, but it's not a major letdown. Maybe it was also an example of bad dubbing and would have felt more authentic in the original Japanese version. I watched the German dub. The movie manages to cross the 2-hour mark and there are a couple scenes that did not add too much, so they probably could have kept it at 105 minutes maybe. However, they may also have done without some of the better scenes that way, so it's all good I guess. It certainly does not drag a lot.
Writer and director Hirokazu Koreeda adapted a manga for his newest film here and he managed to score a nomination at the Cannes Film Festival for the prestigious Palme d'Or. I can see the appeal of the film for sure. It's a very nice mix of comedy and drama, but all very subtle with very few exceptions. Basically, it's just life depicted in a very realistic approach. Sometimes it almost reminded me of a documentary film. Thumbs up for "Our Little Sister". I recommend the watch.
Still, I am not saying there is no drama in this film here. One of the most interesting aspects is probably when one of the girls is in the process of moving into a similar role like the woman who "took" their father from them when they were a lot younger. There are maybe one or two scenes that felt a bit cheesy like the screaming about the father and mother near the end, but it's not a major letdown. Maybe it was also an example of bad dubbing and would have felt more authentic in the original Japanese version. I watched the German dub. The movie manages to cross the 2-hour mark and there are a couple scenes that did not add too much, so they probably could have kept it at 105 minutes maybe. However, they may also have done without some of the better scenes that way, so it's all good I guess. It certainly does not drag a lot.
Writer and director Hirokazu Koreeda adapted a manga for his newest film here and he managed to score a nomination at the Cannes Film Festival for the prestigious Palme d'Or. I can see the appeal of the film for sure. It's a very nice mix of comedy and drama, but all very subtle with very few exceptions. Basically, it's just life depicted in a very realistic approach. Sometimes it almost reminded me of a documentary film. Thumbs up for "Our Little Sister". I recommend the watch.