Our Little Sister (Japanese: Umimachi Diary {Seaside Town Diary}) (2015)
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Watched: April 2018
Rating: 7/10
Sachi, Yoshino, Chika. Three sisters, living together, growing up, learning the ways of the world. Like any set of sisters, there are fights, but there is also love. Their father has abandoned them for another woman. Their mother has abandoned them for another man. They will not abandon each other. For better or worse. They receive the unforeseen news of their father's death. At his funeral, they receive- not something, but someone- even less foreseen. Their half-sister Suzu. Taking an immediate liking to her, they invite her to live with them. She accepts.
This is a film far more than the sum of its parts. Alone, most scenes are mundane, even taxing to watch. Put all together, though, we have a heartfelt drama with a coming-of-age aspect. The house they cherish and reside in serves as its own character. One must be patient to appreciate the bonding moments between the sisters. Koreeda masterfully portrays the transformation from strangers to family; the slow push and pull in the formation of a lasting relationship. Some lovely cinematography, notably the long shots of scenery and water, the cherry blossom "tunnel" (you can feel yourself there; you can feel the transformative meeting the bicycle ride under those trees has for Suzu), walks along the beach (the sisters, Suzu and her boyfriend, when Sachi tells her lover she can not move with him, then again in the final scene), scream therapy on the mountains (Sachi: "You can talk about {your mother} if you like. You can stay here as long as you like."; Suzu: "I want to stay here forever."). Clever use of slow-motion, e.g. Riding under the tunnel of cherry blossom trees and the four sisters bonding over fireworks.
There are moments of unexpected tension and even suspense, like the meeting between Suzu and her father's ex-wife (her half-sisters' mother) or eldest sister Sachi's heated arguments with her mother, who abandoned the girls at an early age. There are the usual Koreeda staples like finding beauty in everyday things, examinations of life and death including (multiple) funerals, family honor eloquently portrayed, cultural differences like respect accurately portrayed in stark contrast to what is familiar to foreign viewers.
Give this storyline to a director in this country and it would be a completely different film. For one thing, you can bet it would not be anywhere near this delicate and lyrical. It is easy to recognize Koreeda's work- his directing, in a way, invisible. It is an oxymoron. You know it when you see it, because it almost feels like an artful documentary, subdued in its excitement, unsensational in its story; but remarkable in its effect, powerful in its hold long after watching.
Admittedly, this film does drag out. Mostly it is for the better. There are a few debatably superfluous scenes. One should watch this prepared to be taken on a meandering cruise through these girls' early adult lives. Some Koreeda films have unforgettable messages, enlightening stories. This one is more of an artful observation. There will be no figurative fireworks- only the literal ones in a couple endearing scenes. It is called contemplative cinema, after all.
Sisters are a special bond. On a personal note- having an estranged sister- this film especially spoke to me. Late night visits in each others' rooms, "liquid courage" bonding, priceless moments of laughter. Koreeda and these lesser known actresses made some magic here in portraying the uniqueness of sister relationships.
Cheesy but still sweet final scene lines from Sachi: "Dad was not really good man, but he must have been a kind one... He left behind a sister like her for us." #FilmReview #Koreeda #ThingsAsCharacters
Sachi, Yoshino, Chika. Three sisters, living together, growing up, learning the ways of the world. Like any set of sisters, there are fights, but there is also love. Their father has abandoned them for another woman. Their mother has abandoned them for another man. They will not abandon each other. For better or worse. They receive the unforeseen news of their father's death. At his funeral, they receive- not something, but someone- even less foreseen. Their half-sister Suzu. Taking an immediate liking to her, they invite her to live with them. She accepts.
This is a film far more than the sum of its parts. Alone, most scenes are mundane, even taxing to watch. Put all together, though, we have a heartfelt drama with a coming-of-age aspect. The house they cherish and reside in serves as its own character. One must be patient to appreciate the bonding moments between the sisters. Koreeda masterfully portrays the transformation from strangers to family; the slow push and pull in the formation of a lasting relationship. Some lovely cinematography, notably the long shots of scenery and water, the cherry blossom "tunnel" (you can feel yourself there; you can feel the transformative meeting the bicycle ride under those trees has for Suzu), walks along the beach (the sisters, Suzu and her boyfriend, when Sachi tells her lover she can not move with him, then again in the final scene), scream therapy on the mountains (Sachi: "You can talk about {your mother} if you like. You can stay here as long as you like."; Suzu: "I want to stay here forever."). Clever use of slow-motion, e.g. Riding under the tunnel of cherry blossom trees and the four sisters bonding over fireworks.
There are moments of unexpected tension and even suspense, like the meeting between Suzu and her father's ex-wife (her half-sisters' mother) or eldest sister Sachi's heated arguments with her mother, who abandoned the girls at an early age. There are the usual Koreeda staples like finding beauty in everyday things, examinations of life and death including (multiple) funerals, family honor eloquently portrayed, cultural differences like respect accurately portrayed in stark contrast to what is familiar to foreign viewers.
Give this storyline to a director in this country and it would be a completely different film. For one thing, you can bet it would not be anywhere near this delicate and lyrical. It is easy to recognize Koreeda's work- his directing, in a way, invisible. It is an oxymoron. You know it when you see it, because it almost feels like an artful documentary, subdued in its excitement, unsensational in its story; but remarkable in its effect, powerful in its hold long after watching.
Admittedly, this film does drag out. Mostly it is for the better. There are a few debatably superfluous scenes. One should watch this prepared to be taken on a meandering cruise through these girls' early adult lives. Some Koreeda films have unforgettable messages, enlightening stories. This one is more of an artful observation. There will be no figurative fireworks- only the literal ones in a couple endearing scenes. It is called contemplative cinema, after all.
Sisters are a special bond. On a personal note- having an estranged sister- this film especially spoke to me. Late night visits in each others' rooms, "liquid courage" bonding, priceless moments of laughter. Koreeda and these lesser known actresses made some magic here in portraying the uniqueness of sister relationships.
Cheesy but still sweet final scene lines from Sachi: "Dad was not really good man, but he must have been a kind one... He left behind a sister like her for us." #FilmReview #Koreeda #ThingsAsCharacters