Movie No. 56 (2015): STILL THE WATER
Futatsume No Mado (a.k.a. Still The Water)
Director: Naomi Kawase
Cast: Nijiro Murakami, Jun Yoshinaga
In Japanese, with English subtitles
Close-up of cresting waves against dark horizon as backdrop, long shot of still water on rocky shore, close-up of a goat being slaughtered, in-your-face shot of locals in what looks like a celebratory or ritual dance, the discovery of a naked man floating on the shore, dead. This is the series of scenes that open the movie. Then we see the two main characters (Kyoko and Kaito), both in high school uniform, among the curious crowd who witness the fishing out of the dead man. Kaito looks concerned, Kyoko indifferent. All these happen in a remote Japanese island frequented by typhoon. This sets the tone of the narrative, which turns out really interesting.
Director: Naomi Kawase
Cast: Nijiro Murakami, Jun Yoshinaga
In Japanese, with English subtitles
Close-up of cresting waves against dark horizon as backdrop, long shot of still water on rocky shore, close-up of a goat being slaughtered, in-your-face shot of locals in what looks like a celebratory or ritual dance, the discovery of a naked man floating on the shore, dead. This is the series of scenes that open the movie. Then we see the two main characters (Kyoko and Kaito), both in high school uniform, among the curious crowd who witness the fishing out of the dead man. Kaito looks concerned, Kyoko indifferent. All these happen in a remote Japanese island frequented by typhoon. This sets the tone of the narrative, which turns out really interesting.
In the succeeding scenes, we see that Kyoko and Kaito have their own worries. Kyoko's mother is dying, thus her separation anxiety. Kaito's mother is a single parent; he despises her lechery. Kaito and Kyoko have a special bond that's hard to describe. But we see how their own worries almost prevents the bond between them to transform into romance. The movie's strong point is on the way it shows things happen, characters developed, and conflicts resolved. It effectively connects in a poetic fashion the events shown in the opening scenes to the crucial scenes and revelations in the latter part of the movie.
Watching the movie makes me feel like reading a well-written essay on love, death, and acceptance, with the movie's musical score in the background. That music kind is unfamiliar, but it blends well with the scenes. In fact, it enhances what the scenes try to convey.
Rating: 4.0/4.0
Date seen: October 18, 2015
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