Hush!

I saw Grains of Sand a number of years ago, so I decided to see this one at the Toronto International Film Fest this year. For me, it was the best movie I saw this year. The characters were great - all of them felt real to me. The humour in this movie is great. Not much more to say except go see it!

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.

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.

As i am becoming more interested in foreign films, i am continually amazed at the high quality of some of these films, especially the European ones. I am not a big fan of Asian movies, but this one scores a high on my list.

This isn't a fast film at all, which is great, as it captures the detailed makeup of these characters and their connections with ones another. Some can be too slow, but this had a steady pace giving great depth into their emotions and everyday lives. This is one aspect I like about foreign movies, attention to detail.

I am not overly keen on gay relationships, but this film was still a good watch providing some insight into gay couples and their decisions about families and children.

Overall it was a good movie. Worth watching again.

The acting was great too.

"Hush" is a dramedy out of Japan which swirls around a handful of young adults including a couple of gay men and a female who wants to have a baby by one of them. This skillfully crafted flick has warmth and charm and poignancy and heart and humor and....but, damn, it sure is long and bland. About as interesting as tofu, this character-driven film dawdles interminably as the characters pour over their relationships, including families and friends, in minute detail while we non-Japanese English speakers are reading subtitles and trying to keep the male characters straight as they are very similar in appearance. My eyes were bouncing up and down between faces and subtitles like paddle-balls for 2.25 hours. Recommended only for Japanese films buffs into people pictures. (B-)