Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A moving, beautifully made film, 7 Aug 2000
By A Customer
I wish I had seen Maborosi before Afterlife (Kore-eda's second feature, a true masterpiece). Having seen it second, it didn't quite have the power of the later film, but is a moving and beautifully made film nonetheless.The story focusses on a woman who is convinced that she brings death to those close to her. Her young life is depicted through a series of very light brushstrokes, capturing crucial moments from her childhood before launching into the body of the film. As with a lot of Japanese cinema, the dialogue is of less significance than the visual images, and the powerful, highly symbolic use of lingering shots resonates with the main character's emotional malaise. As well as the slow, lingering shots, the film is characterised by a lack of close-ups. By retaining this distance from the characters, especially the central figure, the film remains unsentimental yet sensitive to the sadness of the situation. This also means that the occasional close-up is all the more powerful for its rarity. The visual style of the film reflects its deep, resonant exploration of a serious subject. The final scene, shot from a great distance and getting to the heart of the question "Why?" is extremely moving without resorting to obvious or cheap sentimental film tricks. Not many film-makers can start their career with a film about death and its effects on the living, but Maborosi is a brave, emotionally powerful film and is well worth seeing. All in all, Maborosi is a very significant debut and a fine film in its own right. For those who haven't seen Afterlife, it makes an excellent introduction to Kore-eda's uniquely old-fashioned style of film-making and should be viewed first. For those who have seen Afterlife, it is a worthy predecessor but never quite reaches the dizzy heights of the more recent film. Recommended.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Thoughtful, moving and magnificently shot, this film is nothing more than a masterpiece, 17 April 2009
Very rarely would I assign a value of five stars to a film, but this film has found a special place in both my heart and the list of my favourite films of all time.
It is simply a masterpiece of cinematography, and excellent storytelling. I watched this film after I had seen yet another American release with it's production cost in the lofty millions and it suddenly illustrated a very oft-forgotten point.
Many films have dazzling special effects which divert our attention, but can we ever attest to a film actually making us truly think about our perspective on life and death, and bring latent emotion to it's fruition? Many films these days seem to manufacture plots which manufacture sympathy and emotion from their audiences, and in the ample words of Roger Ebert "care nothing for the plot, nor for their characters".
This film cares deeply for both it's characters and the narrative it presents. It also illustrates some very interesting, emotional and thought-provoking issues which are masterfully presented by Koreeda, following in the style of the old Japanese master Tasujiro Ozu.
The photography is wonderful, and the length of the shots is held to allow the viewer to contemplate the mise-en-scene, if you will, and try and connect with the emotion and situation of the characters. One particularly remarkable scene amongst many simply shows the procession of a funeral party and illustrates the division of the landscape by earth, sea and sky in stunning beauty.
The debut performance from model Makiko Esumi is wonderful. She creates a character that you really can deeply care for and understand, as the subtlety of her performance in some scenes can attest. She remains deeply scarred by the past events of her life, and although she tries to overcome and rationalise them they somehow remain unanswerable.
This illustrates the point that once again, it doesn't take a multi-million dollar budget to produce something that you can really enjoy and connect with. A film which evokes discussion and emotion, and gets you thinking about ideas -- life, death, love, anguish and reconciliation -- is something to cherish.
The final act and the conclusion to the story is just perfect. If you haven't seen this film, please do.
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