AFTER THE STORM

Review: A private detective struggles to pay child support money after he wastes the money gambling. He is also trying to reconnect with his ex-wife and son after his father’s death.
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Actors: Hiroshi Abe, Yoko Maki, Satomi Kobayashi, Lily Franky, Yukiyoshi Ozawa and Shono Hayama
Year: 2016
Genre: Art House, Comedy, Drama and International
Conclusion: 4/5
This is a Japanese subtitled film, the original title being called Umi yori mo mada fukaku. It might just be me but I felt with this film that it never really took off. I was waiting for something dramatic to happen and that something never did. Whether I just wasn’t in the right mood for it or went in with a different view on it I don’t know. If I did watch it again I might feel differently about it knowing more what it is going to be like. I did feel that it was very true to life and the sort of films that the Japanese make and are good at making. I watched this at my local cinema club. Others in the audience really enjoyed this and with some aspects I can see why. This was the full two hours which to me felt a bit too long for this particular film.