Shigatsu no nagai yume

I like art films... sometimes. One of my favorite films of all time is the Russian "Stalker", which I've seen several times. But films are like paintings; some of them have a theme and a purpose, some have none. Some films like paintings seem to be randomly assembled, leaving the viewer to wonder what was on the artist's mind.

This film isn't exactly pointless. It's just that it's a long way to go to make a single point. Some viewers may enjoy the subtlety and slow reveal. Others may not appreciate a film that comes very near to being pointless.

The cinematography isn't good enough to claim attention. Acting is barely present and the directing is minimal, without much of note. There may perhaps be some in the audience who will find this an exquisite cup of tea. But it's likely that a lot more will find it mediocre or even "boring".

I was interested all the way through, but in the last third repeatedly wondered where they were taking the film. That's never good. I won't say anything about the ending, but if one is looking for an art film... this just barely musters consideration.

About to be cliche, do what everyone else did, remember the quotes, because sometimes it is what everyone else did for a reason.

Dear Hatsumi, I have written many letters to you, but this will probably be my last. Someone once said that love letters shouldn't be about what you want to say, but rather about what makes the recipient smile. I always had that in mind, but looking back now, I think maybe I just wrote about what I wanted to say. This isn't anyone's fault. It's just the way things are. It's definitely not your fault, so don't believe what they say. Please forget me and be happy.

Kazama Kentaro

You are still young, so maybe you think life is all about what you have. That was what I thought until I got older. Now, I think, maybe life is really about the things we lose. Every time you lose something, you have to discover another piece of your true person.