Movie Digest
Kinuko was just widowed after many years of peacefully living with her husband. She has shared a house with her granddaughter Nagisa since then. Her house includes a camellia garden, and she loves seeing the blossoms bloom every year. Kinuko’s late husband and children are memorialized throughout the house. She then discovers a dead goldfish in the garden 49 days after her husband’s death. She wraps the goldfish in a camellia blossom and berries in the garden.
The Feel-Good Part
A house is more than four walls and a roof; it’s a structure that holds the memories of its occupants over many years. For some older people, the home is not only where they reside, but also their life. This is the central concept of Yoshihiko Ueda’s haphazardly structured “A Garden of Camelias.”
The filmmaker selects a tempo that corresponds to a Japanese garden: A quiet spot to sit and reflect on life. This essentially means that there isn’t much action or plot. We are treated to images of brilliant colors and insects going about their business when we are in the garden.
The Disappointing Factor
The movie begins slowly and has a long run time, so you’ll have to figure out what’s going on as the story unfolds. With close-up shots that appear to be meaningless without context and dramatic sound engineering, the audience will initially believe they are watching a nature documentary. The piece mostly serves as a visual portrayal of a Japanese garden in a Meiji Restoration period residence, with very little dialogue, storyline, or action.
In-Depth Analysis
Kinuko has recently become widowed and is hosting visitors as part of the solemn 49th day memorial for her late spouse. Nagisa, her estranged daughter’s grandchild, has been living with her since her mother’s death, attempting to acclimate herself to the Japanese language and culture. Kinuko now spends her days caring for her beautiful garden and assisting Nagisa with her Japanese. However, with inheritance tax issues looming, Huang, her tax accountant, informs her that she will have to sell the property since she will be unable to afford to keep it. Toko, her other daughter, offers her a place to live with her family in exchange for allowing Tokura to draw up plans for the building’s future.
Star Power
Sumiko Fuji and Shim Eun-Kyung playing the roles of Kinuko and Nagisa displayed to the audience a beautiful relationship between a Grandmother and granddaughter. The casting was brilliant for this film and the emotions were hard-hitting. The supporting actors did a marvelous job as well.
Overall Opinion
The film features amazing Japanese aesthetics and scenery and a slow-paced and nature-focused plot. Regular Japanese moviegoers as well as those who prefer nature-based films would enjoy this film.
