Koreeda is a master of the tender gaze. He deals so softly, elegantly, and emphatically with the characters in his films, it will make you feel like you’re watching life itself in all its complex, emotional splendor. Maybe this is particularly true for this movie because it has been inspired by Koreeda’s memories of his own childhood and the passing of his mother. Still Walking is a quietly toned movie spanning a period of 24 hours in the life of the Yokoyama family, as they gather to commemorate the passing of their eldest son. At the center of the story is the father, an emotionally distant man who commands respect both from his family and community. Opposite from him sits the other son, the black sheep, who seeks his father’s validation. Directed, written, and edited by Koreeda, this dynamic is one of many in this slice-of-life movie about how families deal with loss. And, however distant the culture or setting in Japan may seem to the outsider, you’re bound to recognize either yourself or your family among the tender scenes of this masterful drama.
"There's a natural flow of small hatreds, resentments, joys, and insecurities, superbly caught by every member of the cast"
— Tony Rayns
"while this film is full of all the bitterness, regret, jealousy, disappointment, deceit and awkward love that make up any family, it depicts these with a calm restraint and subtlety, excluding even the slightest hint of melodrama"
— Anton Bitel
A family gathers together for a commemorative ritual whose nature only gradually becomes clear.
The is another of those movies where nothing actually happens in terms of plot. But whats comes out the best is the emotion and performances that comes out of the characters. It is a story about a family and smallissues of any other family. Must watch for drama lovers especially Japnese dramas.