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What an absolute delight. The core of the film delivers a pretty standard rural drama, spruced up with light genre elements, blissful cinematography, and a score that highlights all the beauty present. The two leads are amazing, the slowly fading glamour of the rural setting is aptly brought to light and the pacing is nigh perfect. If you don't care for Japanese drama it's pretty likely this film won't change your mind, but fans of the genre will find something quite fresh and unique here. Narita proves himself a very promising director, I'm glad this isn't one of those films that slipped through the cracks.
Till We Meet Again on the Lily Hill
Till We Meet Again on the Lily Hill confirms Narita's talent as a director, but the subject matter here is a bit more iffy. It's a rather blunt story about sacrifice, that thrives on sentiment. I wasn't entirely on board with the message of this film, but as a drama/romance, there are some impressive scenes scattered throughout. The use of music is strong and the cinematography is slick. The performances aren't quite there though, the leads in particular fall short, and the chemistry between their characters could've used a bit of extra sparkle. It's a pleasant film, but considering Narita made one of my favorite years last year, I expected more.Read all