A Gentle Breeze in the Village

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Audience Member This is a prime example of why I love Japanese movies so much. A slice of life/coming of age story with a nice, gentle and relaxed pace about it. Nothing too overdramatic except to show the sensitive nature of the lead female character. Soyo is a person that worries too much (not that she's a neurotic teen girl!) about her mistakes. She tries to balance her life out by caring about the feelings of those around her such as family and friends but also going through something that she's never felt before - her first romantic experience. The movie is also about nostalgia and enjoying the things that you did as a kid such as going to the beach, school, hanging out with your friends and falling for someone for the first time. Soyo is such a naive young girl but living in such a rural area you'd expect that somebody like her wouldn't be exposed to many things that city kids get up to. We do get to see a clash of cultures with a school trip to Tokyo. Soyo has always wanted to go there but after experiencing the hustle and bustle of the big city she realises that there's nothing quite like home in the country. Kaho is quite brilliant as the innocent Soyo, a person not being able to express her feelings properly. She was perfect for the role, charming and so likeable. The chemistry between all of the kids is wonderful to watch, they're like a small extended family due to the place where they live being a small knit community. You'll be stunned at the breathtaking countryside scenery that's shown to you. A kind of place perhaps you wished you could live there yourself.....well I did anyway! For those of you thinking that running a school with so little pupils is a bit far fetched, the truth is these kind of places do exist in Japan. I was instantly drawn to the story and the characters. You can relate to them. I don't think the sideplot about Soyo's father and Osawa's mother (they seem to have had a relationship in the past) was really necessary and only distracted you from the main story. I knew I'd like this movie instantly when I realised that the director Nobuhiro Yamashita had also made the awesome Linda, Linda, Linda. I can see some people tagging this movie as being too slow and boring but I'm a kind of person that loves these kind of heartwarming movies. It was such an absolute pleasure to watch. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member i loved how every detail wasn't overlooked and weaved into a delicately beautiful tale of first-love, set in Japan's scenic countryside. the littlest one in school and a house cat were wonderfully captured too. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member beautifully shot and paced drama about bucolic life in japan. the arrival of the big-city boy stirs up a lot excitement at school. the youngest student sachiko acted really well, but it's the cameo kitty (which looks exactly like our stripey) who stole my heart Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member those days when you loved your school more than the boy sitting next to you... Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member Nobuhiro Yamashita, the director of the superb "Linda Linda Linda" has created a much different coming of age story set in a small village in Southern Japan. Soyo ( a brilliant performance by newcomer Kaho) who joyfully attends school with her five classmates until the arrival of Hiromi a new student who has come to the village after his parents ugly divorce. He immediately becomes the object of Soyo's affection and the dynamic of the school is forever changed. It is the cumbersome nature of their relationship and the reactions of those around them, so realistically brought out in every awkward moment that truly defines this film. After this film it is clear that Nobuhiro Yamashita may understand adolescence better than any director working today. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Very simple, very deep. These are the movies I love. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews

A Gentle Breeze in the Village

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