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Saturday, July 27, 2019

UMI YORI MO MADA FUKAKU / AFTER THE STORM (2016)

Typically well-observed family drama from writer/director/editor Hirokazu Kore-eda, but smaller-scaled and a bit thinner textured, without the cross-hatched storylines of some of his other projects. Working Yasujirô Ozu territory, but very much his own man, here Kore-eda highlights lost ideals & missed opportunities as once promising novelist Hiroshi Abe goes thru the motions as an investigator at a private detective agency. Research for a new novel, he tells himself. Divorced, but still fixed on his ex, behind on child support; he’s apt to visit Mom for a quick loan, but can’t ask when his disapproving sister is around. The film, made in near DOGMA conditions (and none the worse for it, Kore-eda doesn’t let æsthetic rules weigh on him), gives the situations time to naturally come to a (slow) boil while a storm threatens to blow into the city. A typhoon to clear away false hopes and misunderstandings, even if happiness remains hard to come by in the calm after the storm. Wonderful stuff, but some patience required . . . and rewarded. Special kudos to the late Kirin Kiki, a Kore-eda favorite as the commonsensical mother.

DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: Kore-eda won last year’s Cannes Film Fest with SHOPLIFTERS/’18 (not seen here), with Kirin Kiki in one of her last roles. For now, STILL WALKING/’08 (also with Kiki) is probably the best introduction.  https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2017/04/aruitemo-aruitemo-still-walking-2008.html

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