Kanao and Shoko chart their way through married life, enduring infidelity, grief, mental illness, interfering in-laws, and much more. While their love is tested, it never breaks.
Stunning performances by Lily Frankie and Tae Kimura elevate this film above its prosaic storyline. Life is cruel, as Kanao is constantly reminded by the defendants he draws as a court artist. Based on actual cases from the mid-nineties, this montage of human evil make the small kindnesses the couple share shine much more brightly. A bowl of rice porridge cooked and shared, an ice lolly on a summer day - the everyday moments are where contentment is found.
Shoko's breakdown is perfectly calibrated in a stunning depiction by Kimura. Frankie's stoicism and calm stands in contrast, a performance all the more impressive given that it is his debut.
The film indulges the audience by letting us share episodic time with this engaging couple. Yes, some sequences could do with a bit of trimming, but the journey moves at an easy pace and never feels forced. The film is, at heart, a love story, and one worth spending time with.
Stunning performances by Lily Frankie and Tae Kimura elevate this film above its prosaic storyline. Life is cruel, as Kanao is constantly reminded by the defendants he draws as a court artist. Based on actual cases from the mid-nineties, this montage of human evil make the small kindnesses the couple share shine much more brightly. A bowl of rice porridge cooked and shared, an ice lolly on a summer day - the everyday moments are where contentment is found.
Shoko's breakdown is perfectly calibrated in a stunning depiction by Kimura. Frankie's stoicism and calm stands in contrast, a performance all the more impressive given that it is his debut.
The film indulges the audience by letting us share episodic time with this engaging couple. Yes, some sequences could do with a bit of trimming, but the journey moves at an easy pace and never feels forced. The film is, at heart, a love story, and one worth spending time with.