​FILMS

little forest: winter/spring

2015 review number 97:

Little Forest: Winter/Spring: (Drama): 48 out of 100: My favourite film of 2008 was Departures which just goes to show that I do admire Japanese movies. There have also been some highlights in the Studio Ghibli animated films. Although Little Forest: Winter/Spring has been receiving accolades, this is not one of my Japanese moviegoing highlights. It's slow, self-indulgent and lacking any form of complications in the narrative. I must admit I haven't seen Little Forest: Summer/Autumn but if the follow-up story is any indication of the non-existent complications in the plot, I won't be in any hurry to see it.

 

Ichiko (Ai Hashimoto) lives in Komori, a small village in Japan. She grows her own food and cooks her specialty dishes, taking inspiration from the dishes her mother cooked before. Ichiko is often joined by her friend, Kikko (Mayu Matsuoka) in preparing and cooking the food.

 

The synopsis doesn't include a complication, that is because there isn't one! I can't recall seeing a feature length movie without a complication. The story simply focuses on the way Ichiko grows, prepares and cooks her food. There are two movies within one, the first half dealing with winter and the final half focussing on spring. Each segment has about seven different dishes that are examined in great detail. Throughout the whole film, Ichiko talks to her friends and other village people.

 

Based on a manga comic, Little Forest: Winter/Spring is written and directed by Junichi Mori. He must be a chef himself because he lovingly frames the dishes in his shots. If you love Japanese food, you will become hungry while seeing the film. No prizes for guessing what I ate for dinner after seeing the movie.

 

The film is beautifully photographed but these scenic shots come at a cost with many lingering scenes of the landscape. Take away these scenes and you are left with a 100 minute movie instead of the present two hour running time. Hopefully there isn't a director's cut in the future!

 

What is most frustrating about the movie is the constant narration. Ichiko tells us things that we can obviously see such as her fingers turning black from digging in the dirt and the sky turning in to two colours. She also provides narration as to how her ingredients are prepared for her dishes. When she is not narrating, she is often talking to herself. It would have been better if she had developed laryngitis.

 

The gentle music score is a reflection of the quiet visual scenes, especially when the camera focuses on the landscape. Much of the score features a guitar solo which is soothing and delightful.

 

If you are not a cook, there really isn't much point in seeing this movie. I like my movies to have at least one complication. At least I can now state that I have seen a movie without one single complication. It's something I have achieved in my life!

 

Starring Ai Hashimoto and Mayu Matsuoka

(120 minutes)

Additional scene during or after credits: Yes, during the entire credits we see scenes of village life including food gathering and preparation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOgmVpDKdi0 (Movie trailer)

(Reviewed on Monday 6th July, 2015)

 

For my latest reviews, go to this link: http://mlaimlai2.wix.com/magical-movie-review