Definitely won't call this a comedy but a hard hitting critique of the status of woman in Japan.
It may be slow in the beginning, almost formulaic in the plot development. A woman is expected to be subservient, polite and tolerant; even to the extend of being sexually harass by both the husband and father in law. In society, she has to conform to the cultural norms, serving the community as and when required. This movie also shows why pseudo-religions and cults are still very much big business in Japan catering to the emotional isolation of the individuals.
The patience required in gardening, like raking pebbles into imaginary landscape, helps relieve some of the loneliness.
But everything gets undone when a runaway husband returned on a terminal illness diagnosis. The son insisting on marrying an older woman against her wish drove our lead actress to her wit's end.
When the last scene of her now dead falling out of his coffin onto her well mannered yard broke the last straw. Or maybe liberate her from her misery.
The flamenco in the rain as the close scene is poignant and brilliantly shot.
Kudo to the director for taking this difficult subject and handle it delicately.
It may be slow in the beginning, almost formulaic in the plot development. A woman is expected to be subservient, polite and tolerant; even to the extend of being sexually harass by both the husband and father in law. In society, she has to conform to the cultural norms, serving the community as and when required. This movie also shows why pseudo-religions and cults are still very much big business in Japan catering to the emotional isolation of the individuals.
The patience required in gardening, like raking pebbles into imaginary landscape, helps relieve some of the loneliness.
But everything gets undone when a runaway husband returned on a terminal illness diagnosis. The son insisting on marrying an older woman against her wish drove our lead actress to her wit's end.
When the last scene of her now dead falling out of his coffin onto her well mannered yard broke the last straw. Or maybe liberate her from her misery.
The flamenco in the rain as the close scene is poignant and brilliantly shot.
Kudo to the director for taking this difficult subject and handle it delicately.