ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Bea Swanson This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

WILLIAM FLANIGAN Viewed on DVD. Cinematography/lighting = six (6) stars; subtitles/translations = five (5) stars; DVD video format = two (2) stars. Director Ryosuke Hashiguchi's radical upending of the typical Shoahimin Eiga (home drama) movie genre is refreshing and hilarious as his satire (Hashiguchi wrote the scenario) goes after just about all the stale components of standard Shoahimin Eiga (especially those repeatedly exploited by so-called "classical" Japanese movie makers in the past). Hashiguchi's film is also touching as he explores the many road blocks encountered in contemporary society by a lonely gay couple wishing to start a family (child adoption is not an option). Added to the mix is a female protagonist who for medical (related to multiple abortions) and psychological (plain loneliness) reasons is seeking to start a family with a man who "looks like a father." In a chance encounter, she feels that one of the gays has this look! The director is highlighting the partially hidden ongoing cultural clash between heretofore standard family formation, structure, and values (at least as conjured up in movies) and the reality of modern times: one gay's mother is pushing hard for a traditional marriage process and family structure; the other gay's older brother (but not his wife) seems open to new types of family structures (at least on the surface); and then there is the emerging two-dads-one-mom family model depicted in this photo play. Hashiguchi penchant for long, single takes (a good five minutes or so in duration without a cut) channels Hitchcock's usual methodology. But unlike Hitchcock, Hashiguchi's long scenes often end up becoming tedious and ultimately boring. Acting is okay. Subtitles can not be turned off, and tend to be a bit long given their rapid flash rates. Not all dialog is translated. The video formatting used for this DVD seems to be targeting old-style "square" TV screens. It looks pretty bizarre on modern monitors. Rather than expanding the image to full video screen size (at least horizontally), thick black bars surround a miniaturized version of a semi-wide screen. The black borders take up about 50 percent of the video screen's real estate! (Just sit closer!) Concluding scenes seem to be lining things up for a sequel which has yet to emerge. Recommended. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.

msagawa-1 This is one of my favorite films, even not the best. Each time I see this film, I cannot but wonder why this film, in spite of its central theme, homosexuality, gives me the impression that it's quite an ordinary film, and that homosexuality is just one of everyday matters. In other words, this film is not a special extraordinary work under cover. This is why it is full of humors, which let both straight and gay viewers smile, maybe, in a same way. This film is just the third work of the director, Ryosuke Hashiguchi, who continues to shoot marvelous films, which, certainly, have something to do with homosexuality quite casually, and most importantly, quite naturally. I am looking forward to his next film, whose theme is homosexuality or heterosexuality.

Lwindreich-1 The young people are charming, and the idea of mutual support is often touching. But the film lacks focus and rambles endlessly. It should have been more tightly edited for continuity. Also, the pace is terribly slow, and the cinematography is often static. The scene in which the parents of the two boys confront the young woman often seems like a still photograph,with the young people standing motionless in the background. I thought it would never end.It's hard to decide if the film is a comedy or a drama. The young woman who wants a baby is so terribly distraught. I wondered if those two gentle boys weren't taking on a real nut-case in order to help her.

sibisi73 If you like your movies subtle and sweet, then this should be just the ticket. Although the subject matter isn't too out there in the West, it's interesting to see it broached in the Japanese context, where tradition and respect for family are still held in high esteem. The film deals with familial relationships now, and as such presents a refreshing and forward thinking outlook on the nature of the family unit in the 21st century. Hashiguchi lets us watch these intimate relationships as they build up and, in some cases, break down, without feeling intrusive. There are some wonderful scenes of extended dialogue, the sort of meandering conversations that go nowhere, but that are incredibly involving nonetheless. All the performances are spot on, and there's just the right balance between the humour and the heartache. It's a slow, talky film, but still highly rewarding.