SYNOPSIS:
10-year-old Sota lives with his grandfather and a dog named Chibi in a small snowy village. They live in such poverty that Sota cannot even afford to go to school, but however hard the situation is, Sota never holds a bad feeling against anyone around and keeps his dream alive to become a painter. He has been friends with Sayo, a girl brought up in a wealthy family, ever since they were little despite the difference in their family background, which made Sayo's father feel uneasy. In spite of the difficulties he faces, Sota manages to complete a piece of painting which he wishes to show Sayo. He and Chibi go down a snowy night path to Sayo's house only to find her father's storage on fire...
Through their encounters, Sota and Chibi reminds us that genuine happiness always exists in your heart .
MOVIE REVIEW:
The Japanese filmmakers are good – and we mean it. Look at all the commercial stuff they have churned out, which one hasn’t managed to capture the mass audience’s hearts? Which one hasn’t managed to look romantically pretty? Which one doesn’t star a decently good looking cast? They all do – at least the ones which we have seen. Recent Japanese movies which meet the above criteria include April Bride and Departures. These movies made people shed tears – lots of them. Other movies which come to mind are Gu Gu The Cat, 10 Promises To My Dog and Hearty Paws. They are mentioned (probably out of convenience here) because they feature animals.
Yes, animals. If you haven’t noticed already, animals are essential elements to a sure win crowd pleaser. You may want to include children in the mix too. With that, you’d have an appealing production which no reviewer (not even this cynical one) would have the heart to tear apart.
So here this reviewer is, watching this latest Japanese movie he was assigned to. It stars adorable children, and a really furry dog. Ah, how would he bear to give it anything less than a passing rating?
The story is an inspiring (by most people’s standards, at least): A 10 year old boy stays with his grandfather and a dog. He wants to become a painter, but fate has a thing against nice ideals and ambitious dreams – the boy lives in poverty and cannot even afford to go to school. But no worries, because happiness comes in the form of his friendship with a girl from a rich family. The operative word here is “rich”, which means we’ll get the predictable tensions, misunderstandings, conflicts and other what have you nots in the movie. The ending? Probably a bittersweet and tear jerking one that reminds you of the importance of what genuine happiness is all about.
Don’t get this reviewer wrong – he is not a Scrooge who wants the world to suffer and burn. He is simply wondering why Japanese movies like this don’t hold a special place in his heart anymore. There isn’t really a need to sit through 115 minutes of predictable plot developments to correctly guess what’s coming up next. Sure, the intended messages are worthy of mentioning, but seriously, how much more can one take before he realises that if nothing so heartwarming happens in real life, movies like that just becomes pure escapism?
But if you are one who appreciates pretty images, then this Joji Matsuoka directed drama romance is for you. If you have seen other pretty looking Japanese movies, then this one will also reward you with soothing cinematography and gratifying visuals. The cast acts pretty well too, and if you are not in a rushed mood, then you may want to sit back and enjoy their sincere performances.
Oh, did we mention that the dog puts on a darn fine performance too?
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The visual transfer of the movie is fine, but it is presented in its original Japanese language.
MOVIE RATING:
 
DVD
RATING:
Review by John Li
Posted on 12 September 2010
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