An (2015) Reviews

• Beautiful film

  athena-no-sainto2015-12-08

  The last film directed by Naomi Kawase and I think the first in which she didn't use a script of her own , being an adaptation from a novel.... Watching the trailer you can feel that the movie is something more that it shows, being this a great success because they didn't spoil the most important part of the plot, letting the audience discover the truth about this characters while watching the movie. The film is a beautiful tale about redemption, friendship and nature, told through a slow and very poetic style but although that it is a slow movie , I didn't even notice the duration of it because I was absorbed into the story... I have read a lot about Naomi Kawase work and I was very interested but I've never had the chance of watch any of her movies until now, I have read that this one is her less personal and more commercial film but I'm looking forward to watch her previous works...I have really enjoyed her intimate way of tell stories and her exquisite style, I instantly became a fan of her... The worst thing about this movie is that it makes you hungry Emoticono tongue VERY GOOD MOVIE

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• A sweet slice of life

  ReganRebecca2016-12-22

  I went into Sweet Bean blind, knowing only that it featured the titular sweet bean paste of the title. What a delightful little film it is! It's an unusual tale about three loners all drawn together in a dorayaki shop. Sentarô is a, gloomy middle aged chef, who works at a small middling dorayaki shop, making the pancakes and sweet bean paste that comprise the dorayakis. His shop is attended daily by a teenage girl, Wakana, whose mother does not value higher education and wants her to get a job as soon as possible. One day an elderly woman, Tokue, appears, wanting to work in the shop and claiming it has always been her dream to do so. Sentarô turns her away gently, but when she returns and offers him a sample of her sweet bean paste he is moved by her product and hires her to work with him. Like many films about cuisine this film will whet your appetite. I've never eaten dorayaki but there were so many great shots of the making of the food that I was hungry after watching it. All of Kawase's films are lovely and this one is no exception. The film is contemplative without feeling slow. I've read reviews that say it is more accessible than her other films and it definitely seems that way to me. A good place to start with her filmography if you haven't seen in any of her films before.

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• Small, heartfelt, feel good movie

  rubenm2016-02-14

  Although I've traveled through Japan for three weeks last year, I had never heard of dorayaki, let alone eaten it. This omission has been put to an end by the film 'An'. As a nice and original gimmick, every viewer in the cinema I went to, received a dorayaki with his ticket, nicely wrapped in cellophane. The fun thing is: nobody knew exactly what is was, until the film was well underway. A dorayaki is a sort of double mini-pancake, filled with bean paste. The Japanese word for the bean paste is an, hence the title of the film. 'An' is a small, heartfelt, feel-good movie. It starts and ends with beautiful images of cherry-blossom, the epitome of all things Japanese. The story takes place in the twelve month period between the blossom seasons. Sentaro, a quiet man in his thirties, sells dorayaki in a fast food stand. One day, a woman in her seventies brings him a plastic box filled with home-made an, because she doesn't like the industrial an Sentaro uses for his dorayaki. At her request, Sentaro hesitantly hires her as an expert an-maker, and from then on, business is booming. This sounds like 'An' is a movie about food. It is, but it's about much more. The story is also about illness, death, discrimination, youth and capitalism. But above all, it's about enjoying life and looking at the bright side of things. There are parallels with the wonderful Indian film 'Lunch Box', but 'An' is less energetic and much more philosophical. It tends to be a bit slow, and towards the end the story drags on a bit. But these are minor flaws. Overall, 'An' is a nice film that makes you leave the cinema with the feeling that mankind isn't so bad after all.

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• Beautiful, moving film.....

  namnhan20032016-04-09

  I watched this film with awe by its gentleness that goes straight to the heart...the actress who plays Tokue is a experienced actress and she has a beautiful smile that just melt your heart....Although it deals with leprosy but there is nothing hideous nor deformity which makes you feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, the beauty in everything which Tokue is seeing is so beautiful: the moon, the cherry blossoms, the sunlight...and the small bakery shop seems like a refuge for her....She has a mother-son relationship-like toward the baker and her acting is so natural that just moves you so much. I recommend this beautiful Japanese film to anyone. Don't miss out this rare pearl...

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• so simple so good

  Hombredelfuturo2017-03-06

  ...after ten minutes or so I knew that this film was worth to watch. the actors; the pace; the cinematography showing all those sakura trees were perfect. No doubt that Kirin Kiki is the movie herself but Masatoshi Nagase with his silence and sad face works for me too. Of course to have a good script and director sure help a lot but they captured the mood the right way. Sometimes we cannot do or see the simply things because life gets on us; sometimes we have the problem; in our minds, souls or bodies. Life is so good for many but a pain for many others too; so depends on what side of the coin you are to live a full one; however, the script is telling us that if you are one that carry one of these big problems better to try to take the best out of you and do it the best possible way without fall too deep. You know, there s no choices, until dead comes... Kyara Uchida is the third important character here; her roll is a shy but independent teenager that are somewhat on her own due to her mother does not act as one. In real life she is the granddaughter of Kirin Kiki.

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