Wonderfully acted. The lead is a scene stealer. And the premise is unique in some ways, yet familiar in others. New girl in town, balancing secrets with opening up. She finds she's better at helping people than coming to terms with her past. It's all been done before, just not this beautifully. Or this SLOW!
And that's the problem. Don't get me wrong, I love slow comforting paced shows. Not a lot of this frenetic crap that Hollywood churns out. But this one is just TOO SLOW.
Or more precisely, too...incomplete. The only story that really gets wrapped up to any satisfaction is the wife of the bento shop owner. She has some adorable scenes with the lead. But the rest of the characters..../shrug. We barely get to know them or understand their motivations, hopes, dreams, etc.
I get it, we're supposed to fill in the details. But when every character in the story (except one) is left unfinished, and the pacing is so slow, the movie just seems to go...nowhere.
Could have been so so SO much better. Maybe as a mini-series. Or if they had cut the supporting cast down by half.
And that's the problem. Don't get me wrong, I love slow comforting paced shows. Not a lot of this frenetic crap that Hollywood churns out. But this one is just TOO SLOW.
Or more precisely, too...incomplete. The only story that really gets wrapped up to any satisfaction is the wife of the bento shop owner. She has some adorable scenes with the lead. But the rest of the characters..../shrug. We barely get to know them or understand their motivations, hopes, dreams, etc.
I get it, we're supposed to fill in the details. But when every character in the story (except one) is left unfinished, and the pacing is so slow, the movie just seems to go...nowhere.
Could have been so so SO much better. Maybe as a mini-series. Or if they had cut the supporting cast down by half.