Hirokazu Koreeda’s 2008 film Still Walking is a masterpiece and miracle.
The film takes place over the course of a single day at a family gathering in remembrance of a brother who died saving a drowning child at the beach. Shot in a documentary style but composed mostly of beautiful static shots, there is so much life and natural reality in every character that you feel like you’re there with them. You feel like you know them because they ARE people you know or maybe they are you. There is no action or extraordinary plot revelation or even a big finale. And that’s the miracle part. It still works. It unfolds like a day you might imagine having or have had and reveals family ties, missed connections, and insecurities and disappointments we all feel from one time or another.
Highly recommend for those looking for something different. Can’t wait to watch Koreeda’s other films.
Open Life Up 