After the Storm 2016

After the Storm 2016
Umi yori mo mada fukaku (original title)
Not Rated | 1h 58min | Comedy, Drama | 21 May 2016 (Japan)

Storyline:

Dwelling on his past glory as a prize-winning author, Ryota (Hiroshi Abe) wastes the money he makes as a private detective on gambling and can barely pay child support. After the death of his father, his aging mother (Kirin Kiki) and beautiful ex-wife (Yoko Make) seem to be moving on with their lives. Renewing contact with his initially distrusting family, Ryota struggles to take back control of his existence and to find a lasting place in the life of his young son (Taiyo Yoshizawa) – until a stormy summer night offers them a chance to truly bond again.

User review:

I bet we all can find the shadow of the underachieved protagonist in ourselves, as chances are really slim in materializing one’s aspirations in the cruel reality. There he is: down-and-out both in career and mariage, scraping by through blackmailing strangers, yet always managing to squeeze a complacent smile on his face when meeting his family. You would presume he is leading a hopeless, listless, even miserable life, but the means by which the Japanese director narrates the story also attached a rather warm hue to the banal life of the man. In the end, what do we know about life without living it through ourselves?

Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Writers: Hirokazu Koreeda (original story), Hirokazu Koreeda (screenplay)
Stars: Hiroshi Abe, Yôko Maki, Satomi Kobayashi
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Release Date: 21 May 2016 (Japan)
Also Known As: After the Storm
Filming Locations: Kiyose, Tokyo, Japan