Our Little Sister (2015) The generous, life-affirming heart of Modern Japanese cinema (Review)

Hirokazu Koreeda emerged on British shores in 2013 with the dual release of I Wish and Like Father Like Son, before that he was known only to those adventurous few who delved deep into World Cinema. His work inherited the humility of Ozu and Mizoguchi, only he has added a masterful string to his bow in his unparalleled direction of children. While a little disappointing that he isn’t continuing to tell stories about the children of Japan, in adapting Akimi Yoshida’s manga Umimachi Diary, as Our Little Sister, he maintains modest stories about the family unit.

Our Little Sister begins with a funeral in which 3 Sisters meet the Daughter of their absent Father or their Half-Sister, Suzu (Suzu Hirose), for the first time. That 15-year-old girl was a carer as her Father succumbed to illness, now left with no-one, Sachi (Haruka Ayase), Yoshino (Masami Nagasawa) and Chika (Kaho) ask if Suzu would want to come and live with them. Instantly agreeing, the 3 sisters become 4. Not the most plot-driven of films, Koreeda’s latest focuses on the relationships of this unorthodox family, with Suzu finding her place and the circumstantial guilt that tore a family apart. To use a common anime and manga nomenclature, this is a slice of life. Keeping with that connection, Koreeda has a lot in common with industry favourite Hayao Miyazaki in that both use their work to wax about the simple restorative pleasures of the countryside.

Much of Koreeda’s screenplay is concerned with characterization and character development, more so than usual, translating to countless scenes with very little happening. Any and all of the dramatic weight takes place at the bookends. For many other directors, a film of such a vaguely directionless construction would be too much. However, Hirokazu isn’t just any old director. It takes more than a script to build a world for a film to exist within, performance is equally key and the chemistry the four girls have is of such credibility that it’s hard not to feel disappointed when the credits roll. You want to spend more time with Suzu Hirose, Masami Nagasawa, Kaho’s vitality and the matriarchal ways of Haruka Ayase.

Koreeda’s work, Our Little Sister included, isn’t known for its cinematographic nous instead opting for static cameras and minimal movement quashing any artifice giving the drama focal point. That’s not to say that this isn’t a beautiful film. In the aforementioned adulation of nature and the countryside, beauty is found, and the location scout should be proud. There is a scene in which the young Suzu is connecting with a local boy and she is taken by bike to a local tunnel and as symbolic as that is the two teenagers ride through this pathway of cherry blossoms in a scene that shows that camera tricks, lighting and digital effects are no competition for the natural world.

The location scouts and production designers should also take credit for the house in which most of Our Little Sister takes place. A mammoth, traditional Japanese house beat by time and symbolic of the damage done to the family by extramarital affairs. Yet, despite the problems these girls have inherited, none of them has lost any vitality or zest for life – imagine such a dilapidated dwelling playing host to such a life-affirming glow? The pacing is leisurely at best and at 2 hours it doesn’t have the same urgency as some of the other Japanese directors, which is why that vitality of character is of such importance. These sisters are a tonic for each other and for us watching at home.

I love Japanese cinema because it represents the qualities that I want out of my cinema, whether it’s quiet and contemplative or hugely eccentric and over the top, however, one has overshadowed the other in recent years. That imbalance is why I believe Koreeda Hirokazu to be one of the most important Japanese directors working today. Pop culture and anime have wreaked havoc on the pop culture that japan exports to the wider world and Koreeda the only significant holdout. And funnily enough, that suits Our Little Sister right down to the ground. Hirokazu Koreeda’s latest offering is the perfect remedy – a simple, honest film, that melts away all the noise of modern life. Gorgeous stuff.

Thanks for reading our review of Our Little Sister

For more Movie talk, check out our podcast CINEMA ECLECTICA