The Long Excuse

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The Long Excuse

2016

2h 4m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

After his wife dies in a bus accident, a man rashly volunteers to take care of the children of a man who also lost his wife in the crash.

Maggie Lee

Variety

Writer-director Miwa Nishikawa's somber reflection on the strains of marriage and parenthood is punctuated with beautiful existential undertones.

Sep 21, 2016

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James Mudge

easternKicks.com

Not without its moments of humour, The Long Excuse is a great piece of storytelling and a thought-provoking exploration of grief and its impact

Rated: 4/5

Oct 25, 2020

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Michael McNeely

That Shelf

Motoki should be commended for playing such a duplicitous and two-faced character.

Feb 21, 2019

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Filipe Freitas

Film Threat

Even resorting to some sentimentality, The Long Excuse reached me in the way it treats camaraderie, personal growth, and family ties with sagacious integrity.

Rated: 7/10

Jul 26, 2017

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Edmund Lee

South China Morning Post

Masahiro Motoki makes it all a joy to watch, lending a complex touch of humanity to an unlikeable role that's more involving than it has presumably any right to be.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 7, 2016

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Mark Schilling

Japan Times

Whether or not you believe he truly redeems himself -- I was of two minds until the end -- the film delivers a catharsis that is earned, not tacked onto an obligatory happy ending.

Rated: 3.5/5

Oct 12, 2016

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Audience Member

A nicely understated human drama with a simple plot, but complicated issues, told in a straightforward manner. I liked the fact that it wasn't sentimental in the traditional, commercial sense, though it is very much about sentiments.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

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Miwa Nishikawa

Director

Sôsuke Ikematsu

Actor

Masahiro Motoki

Sachio Kinugasa

Eri Fukatsu

Natsuko

Haru Kuroki

Actor

Shigeyuki Totsugi

Actor

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Synopsis

After his wife dies in a bus accident, a man rashly volunteers to take care of the children of a man who also lost his wife in the crash.

Director: Miwa Nishikawa
Screenwriter: Miwa Nishikawa
Production Co: Aoi Promotion
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Japanese
Runtime: 2h 4m