Renoir

Watched at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

There is no doubt that Chie Hayakawa is talented. The way she presents the gorgeous camerawork, colorful setting, atmosphere and tone is displayed perfectly to demonstrate the setting, time period, and the emotional intentions that are being explored. A story about a coming of age tale of a girl going through the different stages of life seems pretty personal to Hayakaww and her direction and approach to the subject is clear and well-intented. Throughout, the production designs and camera work is great. The soft and tender tone and atmosphere really adds a lot to the setting of Japan that showcases the beauty of its landscape and environment.

The performances from the cast are pretty good, despite especially the child actor as she was really great with her role. However, the writing and the characters didn't really resonate with me as I would have liked. I do feel bad because I did enjoy some of the concepts and themes that were explored within the narrative, especially ahout the themes of family and loss. Unfortunately due to the pacing issues and some of the writing concepts feeling thin, it felt meandering and lacked the proper emotional weight that it could have been. Which resorts to having characters that aren't as interesting nor connectable as it could have been.

Overall, Hayakawa clearly has a vision and she does offer a decent examination about growing up. But I personally believe her first movie Plan 75 was more effective and meaningful.

Beneath the polished facade of a coming-of-age story, the film seeks to explore and critique the culture, along with the stigmas and prejudices that accompanied Japanese society in the late '80s.

It's all told through the eyes of eleven-year-old Fuki, who navigates the turmoil of her father's terminal illness and her mother's relentless battle to maintain some semblance of stability in their household.

While the script possesses the essential elements for a captivating drama centred on human connections, moments of despair, and the confusion of youth, it ultimately falters due to a lack of a strong emotional anchor and that striking absence prevents the narrative from coalescing into a singular point of interest, thus, stripping the tale off of its intended impact.

Moreover, the interpersonal dynamics, particularly Fuki's relationships with her parents, are not fleshed out to the degree necessary to make you feel about their pain and joy from a personal level.