A Japanese domestic drama in the Ozu tradition, Kore-eda Hirokazu's film centres on Ryota (Abe Hiroshi), a married man who we meet on one of his rare visits to his parents. In quiet conversational scenes, we learn that Ryota believes he's a disappointment to his folks, that they idolise his older brother, who died several years ago, and that they have tensions in their own relationship. In Hollywood, these problems would be solved in mawkish heart-to-hearts. Kore-eda seems a bit too determined to shun that course: in places, the characters' failure to communicate looks contrived. Yet the film rings true, and it's handsomely made.
U, 114 mins