Frequently high in polls of the greatest films ever, for 90 minutes this is a wonderful, thoughtful tale of generational strife, misunderstanding, quiet, heartbreaking sadness. Then it just goes on. And on. And on. And on. And then...on. The same themes are revisted, repeated to us, presumably in case we missed them the first time. We know precisely what is going to happen. Nothing new is added. It becomes tiresome, then almost laughable.
The minimal camera movement fits in with the understated and, to those raised on Hollywood proposed realism, oddly naive acting. We care, and are asked to use our brains, as we notice little snubs and mistakes, small acts of cruelty, embarrasement and dissapointement. The dim lighting of suburban Tokyo is squarely shot, each scene in itself isn't boring, but the same scene 4 times over is.
A film that is beautiful, necessary, and a positive lesson to contemporary filmakers on the overbearing power of understatement. Just excrutiatingly long.
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