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Sweet Bean

Play trailer 1:41 Poster for Sweet Bean Released Mar 18, 2016 1h 53m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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85% Tomatometer 60 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
A baker's (Masatoshi Nagase) business takes off when he hires an eccentric 76-year-old woman (Kirin Kiki) who specializes in making dorayaki pancakes.
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Sweet Bean

Sweet Bean

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Critics Consensus

Sweet Bean's deliberate pace demands patience, but the satisfying simplicity of its story -- and Kirin Kiki's absorbing performance -- yield an array of riches well worth the wait.

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Critics Reviews

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Tara Brady Irish Times Sweet Bean's gentle, quiet drama shares DNA with the work of Kawase's compatriot, Hirokazu Koreeda. Sweet by name, sweet by nature. Rated: 4/5 Aug 9, 2016 Full Review Wendy Ide Observer (UK) For the most part, the quality of the dignified, understated performances here prevents the picture from tipping into cloying sentimentality. Rated: 4/5 Aug 7, 2016 Full Review David Jenkins Little White Lies No pretension or faux-poeticism - just a well-made domestic drama. Rated: 3/5 Aug 5, 2016 Full Review Jason Best What's On TV Naomi Kawase deftly handles her themes of loneliness, social stigma and the joy of finding a purpose in life, and her story's resolution is bittersweet but uplifting. Rated: 4/5 Dec 20, 2020 Full Review Andrea Chase Killer Movie Reviews This is not cooking, this is an homage to creation itself Rated: 5/5 Dec 15, 2020 Full Review James Mudge easternKicks.com Anything Kawase directs is not without interest and even when offering up something more accessible and middle of the road like this, there's an artistry to her work as always Rated: 3/5 Oct 31, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ola G Sentaro (Masatoshi Nagase) is a middle-aged man who runs a small dorayaki shop in the outskirts of Tokyo. The shop is frequented by locals and secondary-school pupils alike. When he puts up a notice saying that he is looking for a co-worker, he is approached by Tokue (Kirin Kiki), a lady in her mid-seventies, who states that she has always wanted to work in a dorayaki shop. Sentaro initially rejects her application, afraid that the work would prove too much for the old lady who, moreover, has somewhat deformed hands. However, he is swayed when he tries Tokue's bean paste; its taste and texture are far superior to that of the factory-made bean paste Sentaro has been using. Sentaro asks Tokue to start making bean paste with him, revealing that up until now, he did not actually like his own product. Business begins to thrive, and very soon Tokue also starts serving customers and packaging dorayaki. However, when customers realize that the deformities to Tokue's hand were caused by leprosy, they stop coming, and Sentaro is forced to let her go. Wakana (Kyara Uchida), a school girl whom Sentaro has befriended, eventually suggests that they go and visit Tokue at the sanatorium where she and other patients were forced to stay until the 1996 repeal of the 1953 Leprosy Prevention Law. Sentaro feels guilty that he was not able to protect Tokue against the prejudice of their customers, but she assures him that she is grateful for the time she was allowed to spend at the shop... The film was a "Critic's Pick" by The New York Times, with the Times' Glenn Kenny scoring it at 90 out of 100, writing that "The movie, beautifully shot and acted, earns its ultimate sense of hope by confronting real heartbreak head-on, and with compassion". The Guardian‘s film critic Peter Bradshaw scored the film at 2 out of 5 stars, writing that "Despite some touching moments, and earnest performances, I must confess to feeling exasperated by the sentimentality and stereotype being served up". The film earned actress Kirin Kiki the Best Performance by an Actress award at the 2015 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.(via Wikipedia) This film truly moved me in so many ways I haven´t been moved for a long time by a film. I was not expecting that this film would move me so much and it came from nowhere. It´s a beautiful and tragic film about struggle, freedom, sadness, happiness, joy, friendship and the will to live and be seen for who you are. As Deborah Young writes, "The undercurrent that runs through the film is a message to learn from nature and enjoy the wonder of life moment by moment, no matter what hard knocks you're dealt". As Tokue stresses in the film that a person's worth lies not in their career, but simply in their being, and also that joy comes from taking in the sensory experiences of the world that surrounds us. Kirin Kiki is simply fantastic as Tokue (rest in peace) and the same goes for Masatoshi Nagase as Sentaro. I saw my Mom somehow in Tokue (both in her character and what she experienced in real life) and it really made me extremely emotional. I simply cried during the second half of the film and I couldn´t stop. I miss my Mom as much as Sentaro and Wakana miss Tokue when she has passed. "Sweet Bean" is fine piece of film to me and I warmly recommend it. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/13/23 Full Review William D It's slow paced but still charming. Kirin Kiki is terrific, she portrays the ideal grandmother figure. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/03/23 Full Review Will G. F The book may be better, but this is still sweet. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/12/23 Full Review isla s I really liked this film. I believe its based on a short story I've actually read a year or two back, although when I first came across it, I hadn't realised that but I recognised aspects of the plot. Its very meditative in tone and I admit watching the bean paste and doarayaki's be prepared, I did feel rather hungry! it looked and sounded lovely, much as I suppose I pictured when reading the book. Its a slow paced film but its all the better for it, in my opnion. Its quite thoughtful and it (if partially) covers the theme of prejudice - prejudice and assumptions, as well as opening up and perhaps forgiveness. I'd say this is an example of a piece of slow TV of sorts, with (of course) a culinary/baking theme, although there is a fair bit of dialogue but its not at all hard going to watch. I also enjoyed the light, tinkly music played in the background of some scenes. There are also some lovely instances of cinematography, with sound pretty surroundings shown. I liked looking at the cherry blossom, which (of course) Japan is famous for. The characters are mostly good people and I really appreciated that. Its reflective, touching and thought provoking. If it makes you think of older generations and question things then thats a great thing. I realise it may be a little slow for some but I personally loved it and so I would happily recommend it to others, particularly those who are keen on world cinema, Japanese world cinema (non-martial arts related, of course) and to those who have enjoyed the book its based on. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Amazing performances packed in a great movie with some touchy moments. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Sensitive and Hard at the same time. This is a wonderful movie that we need. This is a classic in my list. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Sweet Bean

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A baker's (Masatoshi Nagase) business takes off when he hires an eccentric 76-year-old woman (Kirin Kiki) who specializes in making dorayaki pancakes.
Director
Naomi Kawase
Producer
Masa Sawada, Koichiro Fukushima, Yoshito Oyama
Screenwriter
Naomi Kawase
Distributor
Kino Lorber
Production Co
Comme des Cinémas, Nagoya Broadcasting Network (NBN)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 18, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$123.7K
Runtime
1h 53m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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