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Maborosi Director: Hirokazu Koreeda Number of Items: 1 Format: Color, Widescreen Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Running Time: 110 minutes Studio: New Yorker Films Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2000-11-21 Buy from Amazon

Customer Reviews: Total numer of reviews: 29 Average rating: 4.0 "Very nice" The camera techniques and the subtle use of expression instead of words made me like this film. I found myself captivated by the movie and trying to figure out what she must be thinking. I was excited to see how she would react to certain things like her new husband. I liked how they use that technique where they just shoot a picture of an object, like when everybody left the room and they show the door closed for a moment. It reminded me of how another director, "Beat" Takeshi, films an actor looking at something instead of showing the object/event itself. Kudos to the director for making this film great. This movie is a perfect example of why I tend to like Japanese films more than American ones. "Exquisite Portrayal of Japanese Culture" This movie is the best I've seen that accurately captures the heart of Japanese psyche and its impact on culture that's so different than that of Americans. Each FRAME of this movie is a masterful "painting" that unites the mood of the character with that of the nature. I've rarely seen such (self-conscious) perfection in each frame as in this movie. I cannot give it five stars, because while this movie has a daring vision that builds power over time, it's difficult for American audience to relate fully to what amounts to a slide show, albeit an incredibly artistic one. Contrast this film with "Red Soghum", which is a virtuoso depiction of the true essence of the Chinese culture. For those who are fed up with the increasingly formulaic excuse of a movie from Hollywood, try these two gems, which actually require you to use your brain to analyze and comprehend. "the psychology of loss" I first watched Kore-eda's film several years ago and was left with mixed emotions. Technically, I felt that the film was a masterwork, with some of the most stunningly composed and beautifully spare frames I had seen since Zhang Yimou's masterpiece, "Raise the Red Lantern." However, emotionally I felt distant from the characters, including the grieving widow, Yumiko, and I blamed the same highly-disciplined technical approach that I admired for this. I have since re-watched the film after some difficult personal years in which I struggled with an almost immobilizing depression, and I've come to the realization that, more so than most films, "Maborosi" is a work that one can only truly appreciate and love if one has a direct personal connection to the type of suffering that Yumiko faces. And to me, this film is not simply about coping with the loss of a loved one or even the fear of abandonment. For me, this is a film that explores the different faces of depression, whether it be clinical - meaning, without any objectively attributable motivating factor (as is evidently the case with Yumiko's first husband, Ikuo) - or situational (such as what Yumiko deals with from feeling repeatedly "abandoned" by key figures in her life). What I was most struck with by "Maborosi" was the incredibly sensitive and subtle ways in which Kore-eda examines the frustration, devastating grief, and even anger that Yumiko feels as she struggles to come to terms with Ikuo's apparently inexplicable suicide. And in fact, when suicidal people think of the loved ones that they will be leaving behind, it is precisely the type of confused suffering and self-doubt that Yumiko experiences that we know will be the fate of our friends and family members. That Kore-eda is able to capture this truth is a testament to his remarkable insight into humanity and the complex psychology of loss. In this sense, he has much in common with Canadian director Atom Egoyan, whose "The Sweet Hereafter" is one of the most accomplished cinematic explorations of this type of subject matter. I can now easily say that "Maborosi" is one of my very favorite films. Kore-eda has said that he chose the actress Makiko Esumi to play Yumiko because of the power behind her eyes. And, indeed, that one lingering moment when Yumiko gazes directly into the camera is one of the most haunting in the film, for we feel as if we are staring straight down into this young woman's soul, into the deep well of strength that shines through the raw pain and confusion. Somehow, we know long before the peaceful closing scene that she will make it out of this just fine. This film has been called a "visual tone poem" of sorts, and Kore-eda's mastery of visual composition just serves to illustrate that he is one of a select group of filmmakers, following the tradition of masters like Bergman, Fellini, Kubrick, and Malick, who know how to use the medium to its fullest potential. When the image can tell the story with as much subtlety and quiet power as is on display in this film, words are truly unnecessary. "Maborosi" is a masterwork of the highest order. "Dull" I thought I was watching a documentary, not a film I guess I should appreciate the movie for its artistiuc merit but there are certain things about it that bothered me. For instance the lack of dialogue, lighting and camera shots made it very difficult for me to keep my eyes open. At one point in the film, for some reason the widow is depicted cleaning stair steps for a good 1-2 minutes. Scenes like that spoiled the movie for me by making it very dull. Its not that I'm some spoiled American who only likes watching action movies. If you are looking to view a more interesting film try "Eel" or "Kikujiro" I just don't feel that this movie is for everyone. It certainly was not for me. "POWERFUL, SUBTLE, AND SUBLIME, BUT NOT FOR EVERYONE" I've never seen such a powerful film. Mostly focusing on a series of scenes of everyday activities, it illustrates better than any other film I've seen the painful experience of dealing with the loss of someone we love and going on without them. Very stark and minimalistic, it probably won't be to everyones taste, rooted as it is in stillness and silence, but for me, it's the best film ever made.