By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.125 cats
Director: Doris Dörrie
Starring: Aya Irizuki | Elmar Wepper | Hennelore Elsmer | Maximillion Brückner | Nadja Uhl
Original language title: Kirschblüten - Hanami
Country: germany
Year: 2009
Running time: 127
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0910559/
Julie says: “CHERRY BLOSSOMS was an EXCELLENT pick for Buried Treasure. If more people had seen it it might have been a pick for best movie.
“The screenplay was excellent. The cinematography was wonderful. I loved the way certain objects, animals and people were framed in scenes. Along with the beautiful alpine and German farm town scenes, you get a bit of a tour of Tokyo which is fascinating. The acting by all characters was superb.
“I’m surprised that Aya Irizuki was not nominated for best actress (or supporting since this film was somewhat of an ensemble piece). I thought she was fantastic. Perhaps this was due to the fact few people saw the film and thus it’s in the buried treasure category.
“I would NOT recommend reading the rottentomatoes review which has a spoiler(or what I consider a spoiler) in the second line. Maybe all reviews of the movie do this – I don’t know….
“The only critique I do have is at the very end they added really cheesy music! I don’t know why as it was perfect until the credits rolled.”
Toni responds: “My only complaint is the slowness at times but the characters were interesting and it to me showed a true ‘lost in translation’ with the dad in Japan. I wanted slap his son though for how he treated his father…I hope more people see and connect to it. It was very sweet when the husband lived through his wife’s past later in the film (will not say more until you see it yourself). I think Hannelore Elsner put her heart and soul into the role of the mother who kept her true love of dance and culture bottled up for years. 4.25 cats”
Diane says: “Grief is strange territory. A German whose life’s joy is mundane ritual (same lunch at work every day, same sweater upon arriving home) finds a guide through the land of grief on a journey to Japan. CHERRY BLOSSOMS is visually very beautiful: crisp cinematography with a plethora of perspectives. I can’t imagine director Dorrie adhering to a storyboard of her film–she seems to have incorporated all kinds of random shots that resonate with her characters’ experiences.
“Here’s a little piece of Dorrie’s worldview that I found pleasure in: the little lies between family members that keep relationships afloat–but they mean that strangers know people better than their spouses or children do. Another plus: here we see a lovely Japanese death custom not covered in DEPARTURES. 4 cats.”