In the aftermath of the Hokkaido earthquake and tsunami of 1993 (the second of Nikaido's films with this backdrop after her breakthrough Newcomer of the Year role in "Himizu" (Mole) (2011)) a single man employed by the local Coastguard, adopts a young foundling, Hana, who may, (or may not), be his biological daughter. Her mother (with whom we incidentally learn the man has had a previous relationship) and father have both perished in the disaster. The film follows the twists and turns of their, potentially incestuous, and explicitly murderous, relationship through Hana's teenage years to her eventual independent adulthood. I'm sure this will be a controversial opinion but I thought it was a magnificent, tragic and, ultimately, quite heart-wrenching film from start to finish. Certainly one of the very few I immediately watched again, and appreciated even more when I did. I'd recommend that to any viewer as some of the plot points (the film is based on a book) are almost mentioned incidentally. It's certainly one of the best Japanese films I've seen in years, (and I watch a lot of them), and it's a shame that the controversial theme may limit its appeal to a wider audience. The backdrop of a coastal Japanese town in winter, beautifully filmed in whites and blues, with drifting pack ice, contrasted with the urban squalor of Tokyo earned a Best Cinematographer nomination. The lead actor, Tadanobu Asano, received a Best Actor award and Fumi Nikaidô a Best Actress. The recurring musical theme is "Going Home" from Dvorak's New World Symphony which captures the mood of the film perfectly. For reference the only explicit sexual scene is between consenting (unrelated) adults and there's limited violence. Finally, and last but not least, this is about the fourth film I've seen starring Fumi Nikaidô and she has impressed me in every one. She's prolific but mostly through television serials. She has recently decided to give these up to focus on films. As she's still only 26 I look forward to watching her films for years to come. My score 10/10.
