serenely beautiful film from hiroshi ishikawa.brilliant cinematography and top notch acting. i was really overwhelmed by the innate silence in this film.the minimalist dialogue really adds a new dimension to this film.there is almost non-existent back ground music which only increases the atmospheric feel.long drawn shots of the actors as they go through the gamut of emotions accentuates this effect.perhaps no film i've ever seen so easily proves that sometimes words don't matter,silence speaks volumes. aoi miyazaki gives a superlative performance as the teenage yu and later is followed suit by hiromi nagasaku as the older version. the plot in itself is pretty simple.it is the actors and the direction which makes watching this film worthwhile. the average movie-goer might find this film frustrating.watch it only if you are willing to put up with the silence. definitely a film i'm immensely glad i watched.
