A Moment (2012) User Reviews

Even without any dialogue powerful and touching message it tells

[b-13616 · 8/10 · 28 January 2019]

In this only 16 minutes long short film, we first see four main characters, who appear to have negative feelings in their mind. Some seem to suffer from an issue in construction of relation, and another is experiencing trouble while tackling with acting practice. One thing apparent is that every one of the characters is deeply hurt in their heart. We cannot clarify the reason of their mental damage till nearly the end of the film, and therefore all we can do is just keep watching how severely they are troubled with something and wondering why they cannot escape the pain. It was so heartbreaking moments for me that I almost looked away from the screen. Suddenly, however, we see the story gets into a turning point: when looking back a clock at a park as returning where he comes from, when turning on a smartphone, or when taking a glance to a wrist watch, they (and some of us) find that a very special moment has come, and finally audiences notice the reason of their hurt, loneliness, or vivid lost feeling. This work describes an unforgettable, and still painful event for many citizens in Japan, and also those who lost beloved people on that day. At the same time, however, characters talk to us with a somewhat positive message: please remember that you are not alone. Look up, and then you will see there will be someone who is feeling in a similar way. It does not require them to persist in past regrets, but rather may try to help them look forward again and make the state to be stuck in the time warp change.

It might not be interesting unless you know the accident.

[vivisilvia · 6/10 · 18 July 2019]

This film is about a serious earthquake which happened on 11th March in 2011, east of Japan. There're four people who are living normally, but at the moment, the world stops flowing. I like this film for two points. First, there's no dialogue. They express their struggling and sadness by their motion, looks on their faces, and sounds. We can feel their real emotions by these more than verbal expressions. It's a good way to express something non-verbal, but because of it, you might not enjoy this film if you don't know about the earthquake. Second: the moment the time stops. Everyone stops, closes their eyes and starts praying for their loved ones. It sounds like there flowing a holy time. After a few seconds of praying, they start their lives again as if nothing has happened. I like this moment of returning to their anonymities. To sum up, I like this film, but it's a bit difficult for people who don't know the earthquake to understand and enjoy.

nice!

[g-59652-35572 · 8/10 · 14 February 2019]

A moment is about a 311 serious earthquake in East Japan. First, everyone is living their normal lives. Then, suddenly, they all saw a message in smartphone. Suddenly, they became sad and numb. They couldn't walk out from the pain of losing the people they love, until they saw everyone standing still, closing their eyes, praying for those people. They suddenly understood that they are not alone, not only lots of people shared the same feelings with them but also people stopped their busy life to pay respect and warmth to those who died. And in the end, they found their strength again towards life and move on. There is no dialogue inside the whole film, only music and scenes. I saw perfect visual storytelling skill. I also want to note that the main characters, one of them is not Asian face. It reflects that now in Japan, there are a portion of "foreigners," which are living inside Japan. They are not Asian face, not the original Japanese, but they are deeply bonding with Japan, and also their beloved ones are also Japanese. And they shared the same feelings with original Japanese. As a foreigner, I hope that by watching this short film, Japanese people can understand better that we are human, although we might be born educated, and thinking differently, we are the same with them. There is no need to be afraid of us, or to keep distance with us.

We should not forget the disaster.

[craftholic1999 · 9/10 · 2 March 2019]

When I was a 6th grade of an elementary school student, the great east Japan earthquake happened. I was in Akita so we were directly affected by the earthquake. Every day, the news reported the damage of the disaster and many people injured, died and missed by the disaster. I can not forget that day. The film is about the people about hurt their feeling from the disaster. It already passed 9 years from the disaster and the number of news related to the disaster is decreasing. People tend to forget the disaster. This film is good to remind us that there are many people, not only Japanese but also people who come from other countries, still, live with deep sorrow and try to overcome it. There is no dialog in the film but I can understand the emotion of the characters. I recommend watching this film because everyone may understand the story easily.

A meaningful movie to watch!

[b-88494 · 8/10 · 31 January 2019]

This film is consisted of four people's stories that seem to be connected with The Great East Japan Earthquake that happened on March 11th, 2011. The characters have hard time at first, but eventually they overcome and find their own way to go at the end. I personally like the camerawork utilized toward the ending, where the editing works as if each character was in the same spot. Through the scene, I could feel the sense of unity for each separated storyline. Although few seconds later the characters walk forward in their own direction without communicating each other, which makes me sad but satisfied at the same time. For me, the short movie was like a future mirror that would reflect my days to come in several years. The situation may be different for my case compared to the ones that they had in the movie, but surely, I would face difficulties at some point in my life. In that sense, this short film warns me that the hardship is coming and encourages as well as implies that the toughness will be over someday if I do not give up trying. The film means a lot to me.

sympathize

[silvayuki · 7/10 · 24 January 2019]

The short film, a moment is the story of people who are struggling. People live while they have something like anxiety or distress. The film reminded me of it. At the beginning of the film, I did not find the theme of it, but in the middle of the film, I understood when I saw the clock which shows 2:46 p.m. The theme was the earthquake in March 11th, 2011 which caused a huge damage to the east and north area of Japan. My hometown, Sendai city in Miyagi prefecture also suffered huge damage since the center of the earthquake shock was off the coast of Miyagi. At that time, I was sixth-grade of elementary school. When I was cleaning the gym with my friends, the shock struck us. The gym made a very big noise because of the shock and I thought it was the end of the world. Though I did not lose my family and relatives, I lost landscapes of my familiar places. For example, my mother's hometown, Taro town in Iwate prefecture which has a very long breakwater was hit by tsunami and became a pile of rubbish after the earthquake. I felt a big sense of loss and fully realized the cruelty of natural disaster. Those who in the film seem to have a bigger damage than me. They lost their family, but they overcome the tragedy and advance to their future. I was encouraged by their action.

A moment

[pnoytt · 10/10 · 17 July 2019]

When I watched this film, memories of earthguake came back to my mind. Many people witnessed the rage of nature. At first, a man from abroad appeared. And also the stage was Japan, so I am interneted in the film. After that, a woman and two men appeared. Although this film proceeds focusing on those four people, I didn't understand what the film conveys. What I could understand was what everyone was struggling. I finally realized when the date and time "14:46" March 11 appeared on the foreign man's smartphone. This scene gave me a wake-up call. I could understand how deep thier heartache is. In this film, there were no scenes that people were talking. By only using images, we concentrate on character's facial expression and think about people's feeling and situation. As a result, we can understand the meaning of the film more deeply.

sensitive

[mvrv33 · 7/10 · 21 October 2021]

The short drama "a moment" starts out with four different storylines which eventually come together. A young American man travelling, a Taiwanese restaurant owner, a Japanese salaryman and a young actress go about their daily lives. At first glance the four protagonists appear to be very different and seemingly have nothing in common apart from the fact that none of them show any signs of happiness. At the beginning it is not very clear where the story is headed but the pieces suddenly come together when the main characters meet. March 11th at 2:46 p.m. People collectively halt to commemorate the victims of the Tohoku earthquake in 2011. After a minute of silence everyone resumes their daily activities. This is when the protagonists coincidentally run into each other and their eyes meet for a very brief moment. All of them come to realize that they are not the only ones who experienced great loss. Unfortunately, some parts in which strong emotions of grief should be conveyed seem a bit staged. The meeting of the protagonists, however, is a beautiful and emotional scene. It is not a perfect short film but definitely an interesting and sensitive one that is worth watching.

It is appealed from the screen.

[risa_gu · 9/10 · 13 October 2021]

This is a short film released in 2012. It is about each life of four people who experienced the same suffering on March 11th, 2011. Their circumstances are different from each other, but they connect their hearts during a minute of praying in silence. There is no dialogue at all, but the images strongly reflect the emotions of the characters. Their expressions and gestures express their loneliness and negative emotions. Especially, I was impressed by the scene of praying in silence. This scene shows each person closing their eyes and praying in the city. They are all strangers, but I feel as if they are connected to each other. Also, the structure of this story is very original. It is based on the Great East Japan Earthquake, but the theme does not appear until the clock is shown in the middle of the story. The audience will be shocked when viewers realize this theme. It is worth seeing this film.

Good movie

[lunagfilm21 · 6/10 · 2 July 2019]

When I watched this film, I didn't know at first what it is about because only a man was angry, the other man was walking with a backpack, and a woman was practicing acting for a dream. However, after a while, I could understand that people prayed in silent at the moment it happened the Great East Japan Earthquake, notice that there was a wound in their heart, and feel that there was a message though there was no conversation. Some people may have forgotten about March 11, 2011, but I thought that the victims remember that day and go forward little by little. Also, I think that people sympathize with this film and felt something if they watch it.

3.11

[b-93813 · 8/10 · 3 March 2019]

A moment is a short film portraying four people's struggle for separation from their loved ones and their encounter by coincidence on March 11th, 2012 at the exact time the Great East Japan Earthquake happened which caused tremendous damage and tsunami to east Japan exactly one year earlier. Although there is not any dialogue in this film, the people's mind and message are well illustrated which made me be moved. Besides the absence of the dialogue, I found that the way to approach to the end and convey the message this film uses was very interesting. In the first half of this film, only each situation in which the four people were struggling for losing their loved ones was illustrated and I could not see the reason for it. In the last half of this film, the camera zoomed the screen of the guy's smartphone and it said March 11th, 2012. At this point, I found that those four people were those who lost someone because of the Great East Japan Earthquake and I could see the reason for what they struggled for. Through this structure of this film, I was fascinated at seeing the end and since I firstly saw how people suffer from separation because of 3.11, I could feel deeper meaning and background behind people's praying appeared in the last part of the film. Also, after knowing it is about 3.11 I could get the whole picture of this film and I felt amazing as if I read a mystery novel in which the mystery was getting solved and I could see the relation of each small piece of information.

Great East Japan Earthquake

[ohkf · 6/10 · 25 December 2021]

"a moment" is a 15-minute film from 2012, directed by Akira Sasaki. It is a non -dialog short film focusing on people living in Tokyo and the effect of the Great East Japan Earthquake. The screen switches the scene over and over between a young man who lost his lover, a woman who struggled with her companions, a restaurant owner who lost his father, and a man who tries to be kind to his employee. Each of the characters has their own problems, and it seems they do not have something in common, but at the moment of silence, some kind of mental connection appears. It is a beautiful film, as those people without any connections come together in a particular moment, and go back on their own way. The film directs positive images by telling us stories of their own life and how they get through. People should watch this film, to remind them of the tragedy.

I'm sorry but...

[painauchocolat · 2/10 · 28 June 2019]

I understood the purpose of the movie. But the way it was shot seemed really cliché and kind of cheap to me. The way characters have their own problems, but then meet by coincidence, looking at each others as if they knew they were figures of a film looks, for me, quite clumsy. Of course at the end, as it is always the case in real life - this is well-known -, they all miraculously solve their problems and have a happy ending.

Also, it's really hard to empathise with the characters because some of their issue don't seem very clear and you're just like "Ok, what's the problem with this girl? Why isn't she happy?" Is the salary man secretly in love with his subordinate ? Because it's how interpreted it. The absence of dialogue is not a matter per se but here, the images don't talk enough for themselves, so it just doesn't work...

The image of the American guy who goes on a journey to Japan to forget about a hurtful break-up is not really original and as I said earlier, it's really hard to empathise with him because seeing him looking at a picture of his girlfriend on his (very old) phone - which is once more very original -, with his big backpack just make you think he's the archetype of the "gaijin" (a pejorative word designating foreigners in Japan).

Finally, I don't know if this short film was supposed to be oriented more towards Japanese or Occidental audiences but in my opinion, I don't think it manages to bring the message it wants to convey originally. And it's really a shame...

the day

[momockinoco · 8/10 · 27 October 2021]

This moving film "a moment" was made in 2012. The genre is drama. In this movie, there are four main characters: A young man traveling around the world, a girl in a theater company, a restaurant cook, and a salaried worker. They lose their loved ones on "the day". They sometimes remember it and live in sorrow. However after they shared the time for people all over Japan to remember "the day" and stop to pray, they live forward. I suppose the message of this short film is how important it is for all people to live a positive and strong life. Surely it is difficult to forget the sad things, but if you don't live forward, nothing will start. I think it is necessary for us to accept sad events and still enjoy ourselves every day. This short film is worth watching. I would like to recommend it to many people.

A well thought movie

[anne_chan · 9/10 · 13 July 2019]

This is a fifteen-minute film that tells us about the after story of the earthquake that occurred in March 11th 2011. It shows us the feeling of various characters who lost their beloved ones during that earthquake. First the film shows the characters depressed expressions but, when it came half way through it started to give the main theme which is about the earthquake. The scene when the American looks at his phone and sees the date, many people in the city stopped and prayed. I think the four main characters met each other to know that they are not the only one who lost their beloved ones, so that in the end they overcame little by little.

The film that a Japanese should watch

[monata1717 · 7/10 · 19 June 2019]

This is the first time I have ever seen such an thoughtful film. I had never seen the films which is based on earthquake disaster until now. This film has no dialog, so there is a quiet serious atmosphere. That is why I gazed in the performance of the actor even more. The people who lost a family in an earthquake disaster live as hard as possible. They are unable to stand it. To gaze at them, I came to feel a pain in my chest. I want to recommend this film to all nations in order to not forget the earthquake disaster.

Beautiful story

[maiiiiebiiii · 8/10 · 22 December 2021]

"A moment" is a short drama film. There are four main characters, and each of them lives in the present while feeling isolated. At 2:46 p.m. On March 11, all people in Japan are reminded of the Great East Japan earthquake and they start to pray silently. After that, how do they take a step forward?

This movie depicts the lives of people in reality. For example, an American man travel around Japan thinking about his girlfriend, a salaried worker gets frustrated because he cannot be kind to his subordinate, a woman suffers from human relations and leaves from a training room, and a Taiwanese man thinks of his late father. In this way, each of them lives differently and every person feels lonely. These things apply to the audience, so we can sympathize. Also, this movie gives us courage. The audience will try to make the most of every moment after seeing the scene in which people think about the day of Great East Japan earthquake, and try to move forward. If you are losing sight of the importance of daily life, it is worth seeing this film.

Nice

[f-emiri · 6/10 · 21 July 2019]

I think this movie has many metaphors. For example, after time of characters who have trouble in their life stops, their life comes to go well. This scene show that it is important to spop and think once when we get into trouble. Also, the scene that characters pass each other tell us not to forget that anyone have problems and not to think you are alone. Characters in this movie have different races. This means troubles has spread all over the world. Speaking of productions, this movie makes me an impression on me by eliminating dialogue. And the music played all the while that is mellow makes me feel relax. Thanks to these techniques, this movie is so emotional though this is not fun movie.

I rememer the moment of the earthquake.

[dniallprry · 9/10 · 24 December 2021]

In 'a moment', there are people. An American man can't forget his girlfriend. A girl who belongs to a theater company builds an emotional wall. A man who takes over his father's restaurant feels too much responsibility. An office worker has kindness, but he can't be obedient. They don't know each other. However they try to change themselves at the same moment and it was the time when the earthquake occurred. This film shows people's complicated feelings, so it is not easy to understand everything at first, but it is very meaningful and impressive. I can't understand the meaning of some actions, but I can develop an understanding because I discussed with my friends. I think we have to be honest with ourselves. In this film, they started to be honest after the time when earthquake occurred. I think there are many opportunities to face ourselves and our friends, families, colleagues and other people. Time is limited, and I want to enjoy my life, so I will be honest with myself. I want to be a person who is kind to people around me.

Step forward

[myqkbt · 7/10 · 24 December 2021]

This story is about four men and women. At the beginning, they have loneliness somewhere in their heart they think about things negatively.

At the time, not only these four men and women but also all the Japanese people share a moment. At the moment these characters meet face to face. From the moment, the characters want to try to take a step forward. Perhaps you cannot understand what kind of message this film tells us at the beginning, so you may get bored. You can only understand that characters have loneliness. However, I want you to find the moment of this film when you can understand the message of this film. I think that you will be encouraged, so I especially recommend that those who have loneliness and tend to think about all things negatively watch this film. You are sure to want to take a step forward.

A Moment review

[Mr_Waffles · 8/10 · 1 March 2019]

Review may contain spoilers. A Moment is a very interesting film that leaves the audience in the dark for the majority of the film. Throughout the beginning people are going about their lives struggling in someway or another. The audience is left to wonder why until a bit over halfway through the film. At this point the film focuses on a time and date and the people within the movie stop doing everything, taking a moment to remember what had occurred and those they lost. From there the film goes about having the people within it try to overcome their struggles realizing those they lost would prefer it that way. A Moment is a truly significant film as it is about the aftermath of a tragic event that occurred in Japan; that being the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, which occurred on March 11th. For those not in the know about this event the film may lose some of its impact.

Nice one

[b-96128 · 7/10 · 3 March 2019]

In the film, there are some features that remind audience of the Great East Japan Earthquake. The impression that I got from this film is each of them are facing difficult problems in daily life and those individuals are trying to overcome the sadness and tackling the reality. Moreover, end roll of the film told me that those people are from different countries, and this made me realize that the Great East Japan Earthquake stays in the heart of not only Japanese people but also people all over the world because a whole world is connected somehow. The moment that those main characters are not knowing each other but come across in the last was very nicely describing that each people are connected and sharing painful memories even though we are unacquainted. Even though this film has no dialogue, the facial expression of actors and music are enough elements to understand what happens in the film.

Forget-the day-not

[minamiakiiku · 5/10 · 1 November 2021]

This short film "A moment" was directed by Akira Sasaki. The drama features four international figures in some kind of dissatisfaction. They lead their melancholic life, but 'a moment' makes a change in their mind and life. In my opinion, visual expressions clearly displayed the feelings of the protagonists. Firstly, we can consider the setting of lights. For instance, a Japanese worker looked bothered in his dark room. However, at the end, he was on a brightly lit train, and his face showed his agony was got rid of. This contrast indicates his emotion shifted. Moreover, facial expressions of the protagonists are awesome. Especially, a Taiwanese cook, who mourns his father's death, did a great job. Even without any words, his acting performance showed his suffering and deep sorrow. Throughout this visual approach, I felt emotional, and really impressed. Having said that, I found some unrealistic aspects. After 'the moment', they looked so refreshed. The scene made me wonder why their agony was gone so soon. Some scenes are not plausible for me, but I recommend this film because it is a good reminder of 'the moment'.

Encourage you

[kamamitochan · 8/10 · 24 December 2021]

This short drama was made in 2012. In this story, there are four main characters who live in different places. They don't know each other, but what they have in common is that they feel lonely. They are inspired by 'a moment'. In my opinion, this story conveys a message that you're not alone no matter how painful things are for you. By noticing they're not alone, they can move forward. In this movie, although this movie has no dialogue, each situation which they are in is expressed by their facial expressions, their belongings like a picture, a ticket, a photograph of a deceased father, two cans of coffee, and so on. Especially, we can read their loneliness in their eyes and the camera is focused on them. Besides, what 'a moment' is doesn't appear directly, but it is implied by a certain time. When it comes to a certain time, some people stop walking and think with their eyes closed. Also, the camera is focused on a certain time displayed on some clocks. The camerawork gives some hints. This movie encourages you to overcome sadness or difficulty, so it is worth seeing.

A movie which is consistent to the story

[e4keimax · 8/10 · 25 October 2021]

'A Moment' is an omnibus movie directed by Akira Sasaki. Four people who have each lost an important person decide to live in society, though it is difficult for them to forget the sorrow. There is no dialogue, but there is consistency to their behavior and visual storytelling in this movie. For example, a Japanese woman who practices a drama called "Saikai", which means "Reunion" in English, cries at the roadside while holding a ticket for the drama. In this scene, the word "Saikai" is not emphasized, because the camera takes it for just a minute, but the scene clearly expresses that she wants to meet a valuable person to her again. Therefore, the audience can understand not only the situation, but also the story itself even if this movie does not have dialogue. In conclusion, this movie has a consistent plot which is useful for the audience to understand, so it is worth seeing.