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Still Walking



The lyrical, profoundly moving Still Walking (Aruitemo aruitemo) is contemporary Japanese master Hirokazu Kore-eda's most personal work to date. Created as a tribute to his late mother, the film depicts one day in the life of the Yokoyamas, gathered together for a commemorative ritual whose nature only gradually becomes clear. Rather than focus on big dramatic moments, Kore-eda relies on simple gestures and domestic routines (especially cooking) to evoke a family’s entire life, its deep regrets and its daily joys. Featuring vivid, heartrending performances and a gentle naturalism that harks back to the director’s earlier, documentary work, Still Walking is an extraordinary portrayal of the ties that bind us.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION:

- New high-definition digital transfer, approved by director Hirokazu Kore-eda and director of photography Yutaka Yamazaki (with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
- New video interviews with Kore-eda and Yamazaki
- Documentary on the making of the film, featuring on-set footage
- Trailer
- New and improved English subtitle translation
- PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Dennis Lim and recipes for the food prepared in the film

DVD:
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That's a pretty light offering in terms of extras - I wouldn't have minded seeing interviews with some of the actors, especially Abe Hiroshi.

However, "recipes for the food prepared in the film" is still a pretty fantastic feature.

This was/is my favourite new release this year and I am beyond thrilled to see it getting a Blu-Ray release. Dennis Lim is among the few critics worth a read nowadays so I'm pleased about his booklet contribution. Still, this feels disappointingly short on bonus features, and

- PLUS: ... recipes for the food prepared in the film

?? What the heck..

For the small amount of extras offered, $40 feels rather steep, definitely (unless they're close to feature-length and in depth)

I would say the price is too steep, but the film alone really is worth the thirty or twenty-five that it's going to be available for. It's just this sad beautiful mess. It manages to fit in three or four contradicting messages into the film that in no way feel like they're treading on each other's shoes.

One of my instructors is Japanese and she was telling me she steamed this on netflix. She was pretty high on it and described it as being "very Japanese."

The barest Blu-ray release yet, surely?

If I had to pick just one favorite film from the last few years, this probably would be my pick. Really the characters and dialog are just perfect (I "recognize" almost everyone here). The Japanese DVD is lovely -- so not sure I'll buy the Blu-Ray version (unless it goes for a really good discount).

Can't believe the lack of extras! Maybe they have significant running time?!

Great film though, and hoping there are more Koreeda releases to follow it.

If the making of is the same as on the UK New Wave disc, it will be just under 28 minutes. The new interviews will be the place to look, but then most of Kore-eda's films I've seen (this, Nobody Knows and After Life) are both relatively self explanatory and too delicate to really withstand a running commentary track anyway. I would be glad to get this just for the Blu upgrade and DTS soundtrack myself!

Just watched the Japanese DVD of After Life last night -- and was reminded of just how gorgeous this DVD (and the film it contains) looks. Hard to pick a favorite Kore'eda film -- but I think After Life still hangsd on to my top spot.

I suspect Hana yori mo naho and Distance would benefit from background information, but most of the other films can (and should) stand on their own.

Michael Kerpan wrote:Just watched the Japanese DVD of After Life last night -- and was reminded of just how gorgeous this DVD (and the film it contains) looks. Hard to pick a favorite Kore'eda film -- but I think After Life still hangsd on to my top spot.

Same here, MK, although this stands at the top of my list of Kore-edas. Resisted buying this offshore in lieu of a R1, never imagining it would be in the collection until it was announced last September. Regarding the extras, I have a feeling there might be more forthcoming. Nevertheless, this is terrific news.

I'm pretty psyched about seeing this again. Not really sure what I would have wanted in the way of special features. Pretty happy to just have the film.

Very pleased about this.

After Life has always been, and still is my favourite Koreeda film. Although Still Walking was amazing and is definitely up there.

I wonder if Air Doll would be a possibility also for release, along with After Life and Nobody Knows as has been speculated.

I watched Seven Samurai Blu, with a plate of sashimi and a bottle of sake - I like the idea of the recipes being included with Still Walking

Based on the Japanese DVDs, I would say that Maborosi would probably make the best looking Blu-Ray of any of Koreeda's films -- not sure who holds the current rights to this in the US (Milestone had the film and New Yorker the DVD rights).

Haven't seen it, but I get a 'The Flower That Drank The Moon' vibe..

onedimension wrote:Haven't seen it, but I get a 'The Flower That Drank The Moon' vibe..

Pretty cryptic utterance.

Which Koreeda film are you dissing? Still Walking -- or Maborosi?

domino harvey wrote:The barest Blu-ray release yet, surely?

Did you forget Charade?

Just saw the Japanese DVD of this. Agreed with Michael that it's a masterpiece, with a lot of very specific, universal detail about generational relationships among families. Comparisons to Ozu are obvious, to say the least. I'm ambivalent about the coda -- it brings things full circle, but that last bit of narration over the shot of the stone steps is so devastating that I kind of wish the film had ended there.

I was underwhelmed by the image quality on the Japanese DVD, though; the colors were flat and the compression was pretty high. Criterion will improve, hopefully. And I'm looking forward to the recipe for that corn tempura. Not that I can actually cook it, mind you, but at least it'll help me find it on Japanese takeout menus....

The Magician also had a pretty slim running time, extras wise.

Does anybody know how long the making-of doc lasts? I believe its the same one on the UK disc?

Comparisons to Ozu are obvious, but I think it's also easy to take them too far. Sure, the film is understated, about family, and tends to focus more on conversations and mundane details over plot points or character development. But I think Ozu's films tend to be more focused, more frequently "about" something specific, and the [overdue family get-together that brings up a lot of past history at key points throughout the weekend resulting in a shared experience that, while not necessarily bringing everyone together into at least brings them to a common understanding of certain things] sort of film is more of a European tradition, in my mind.

Like Kerpan, I think Kore-eda is easily the best of the Japanese directors working today, even if his output is quite uneven. In my mind, nothing beats Maborosi (which to me, is a much more Ozu-like film). Easy to love Afterlife as well. Mixed feelings on Nobody Knows, didn't really care for Distance. Still haven't seen Air Dolls or Hana yori mo naho, but I'm eager to.

My least favorite Koreeda film is Nobody Knows -- which I still think was very very good. Liked Distance a lot -- but have not re-watched it for years (unlike Maborosi and After Life, which I re-watch evry few years).

Hana yori mo naho needs to be watched in conjunction with something like Inagaki's 47 Ronin -- and then one can appreciate just how wonderful Koreeda's rejoinder to this story is.

Air Doll is sui generis -- and has grown in stature (in my brain) since my watching. How it fares ultimately will depend on the results of re-watching...

Michael Kerpan wrote:My least favorite Koreeda film is Nobody Knows

I am shocked. I realize my attraction to it might be biased, but I find it to be his best, of the limited amount I've seen. A lot of that admittedly lies in the story which is basically cat nip for me, but looking beyond that it's visually complex without sacrificing that subtly that everyone else seems to have forgotten. It's one of the few movies that doesn't lose it's emotional punch no matter how many times I watch it.

If one love's (or likes very very much) a director's entire output, then (theoretically) _some_ film has to hold the lowest spot. In my case, that film is Nobody Knows -- which I nonetheless thought was quite fine (and which I have never hesitated to promote). ;~}

(BTW -- I wish Koreeda's excellent documentary about Cocco, a wonderful Okinawan singer, had gotten a subbed release. But I tend to keep HK's docs totally separate from his feature films -- and don't try to rank these two groups together).

He does docs too, now I'm going to have to import stuff from the east.
Also I see you're point. Nobody Knows is just one of those cases where a film has hit me so perfectly that I have a hard time understanding others differing opinions, let alone least favorite.