Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Murphy Howard I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Ava-Grace Willis Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) "Kirschblüten - Hanami" or "Cherry Blossoms - Hanami" is a German film from 2008, which means it will have its 10th anniversary 2 years from now. The writer and director is Doris Dörrie and this film (among others) turned her into what many probably consider Germany's most influential female filmmaker of the last decades. Her cast here includes E. Wepper, Elsner, Uhl, Minichmayr, Brückner and a handful other German actors that are somewhat known here in Germany, plus a couple Japanese actors because of the setting. The first third is about an old married couple (from Southern Germany) reuniting with their children in Berlin, but somehow not really succeeding in making a connection, especially the man. The scene when they struggle with the train ticket machine is possibly the most entertaining and it shows that they just don't fit there.The first third of the film ends with the old woman's death and the remaining two thirds is about the husband taking a deep insight into the lifelong dream of his wife, namely going to Japan and becoming part of an ancient Japanese tradition. A lot of the film has to do with the culture clash between Rudi Angermeier (Wepper) and Japanese culture and tradition, how he goes on a journey into a world that is entirely new to him. Dörrie has made the movie "Erleuchtung garantiert" before this one (almost a decade) and very recently she made "Grüße aus Fukushima", which shows how strong Dörrie's connection to this Asian country must be. In my opinion, the quality is on par with the chronology. "Erleuchtung garantiert" is the best from the trio, "Kirschblüten - Hanami" is certainly inferior and "Grüße aus Fukushima" is easily the worst and a huge mess.About this one here, I think visually, in terms of sets, cinematography and costumes, these areas is where it shines the most. Wepper is also pretty good, even if the awards recognition may have been a bit too much. There are better (German) lead performances from that year such as Matthias Brandt for example. The film itself has a couple pretentious moments and feels like style over substance on some occasions too, but I still feel it was a creative achievement, even if it should have been kept more essential at 105 minutes instead of over two hours. I would say it is indeed one of the best German films from 2008, but not among the very best and also not among the best from Europe. I love Japan a lot as well and, even if I recommend the watch, I would call it a bit of a lost opportunity and it is kinda sad how Dörrie's Japan-themed films got worse and worse over the years.

minkvill this was a very unexpected surprise tonight on Sunday night TV here on SBS Australia. I started watching it knowing nothing about it, but liking the quiet observational style. At the first ad-break I checked the IMDb rating, and decided it must be worth watching. Well it certainly was. Beautifully gentle and sad as well. This movie had it all - the beautiful Bavarian countryside, then a bit of Berlin with the somewhat uncomfortable children having to put up with the sudden visit of their parents, for why (only the mother knew). Then to the Baltic Sea, where against all expectations mother leaves the film and father must continue on. Then against all his normal routine Dad goes off to visit 'favourite son' who works in Tokyo. As Tokyo is one of my favourite cities to visit this was wonderful to see the daily routine of the city on film. And yes homeless people do live under canvas in Ueno Park because I have seen them - I was quite shocked when I realised what all those blue tarpaulins/tents were for. The film ends in Hakone/Mt Fuji. And there was the only disappointing note in this beautifully observed film. Yes Mr Fuji-san is shy - (spoiler alert) but surely if he was dancing for/with his wife as her last wish he would be FACING Mt Fuji not away from it? (sad truth that the camera could not be in 2 places at once though). That minor point aside, I loved this. Not having been influenced by what others have written, I will now read some of them!(2nd time around - Aug.11) Happened to see (most of) this on TV again last without initially realising what it was, namely that I had already seen it. It was just as pleasing the second time around. It has such a gentle touch this movie and it is simply and emotionally charming in a distinctive way. Rudi does not have to say much at all for us to sympathise with his situation and the actor does this so well. The butoh girl is such an interesting and charming ingenue sort of contrast - the relationship with Rudi could have been somewhat creepy but it seems quite natural the way it develops. My own intersections with places in Tokyo/Hakone also give this film a personal resonance which heighten the experience of watching it.

guillermo-asper Discovering the essence of the companion, family, friends and others is the challenge posed by the story.The movie takes you to geographical places you might never been before, as well as into your inside and your persona.Great to reflect while feeling lost in both places and enjoying a work of art.You will go as far away as Tokyo and as deep inside as your more basic understanding of human beings.The unit of the story is a family at a moment of crises.Some may see this story as a sequence of complains. But it can also be seen as stepping stones in the road to happiness.It stresses the relevance of how taking good care of ourselves is the beginning of taking others feelings into consideration.Some might have the feeling of not having a complete set of tools to approximate of understanding others essence, and feel compelled to change and develop them.In syntheses the play depicts the sharp contrast in the two faces of the coin of life the one that gets engulfed by routine and the one that consciously chose to live on the other side seeking truth in the road of simplicity.

mrrh “It's merely a movie.” Yeah. Well, whenever did you see one that had every character's play connect; comprehending intuitively their wars waging within. Between the sense of responsibility, of guilt, sweet memories, shame and nagging doubts. Not of one character, but of every single one. And then not because the lines, expressions and glances are simple, the characters sparse, or the dialogues overly explicit. No. Only because every single one is a mirror of your own, if not now than those that'll (hopefully?) be experienced in the future. Their fights aren't theirs alone; they are ours too. All painfully accurate, and so incorrigibly human.To watch sheer Love gathering momentum before and after they ... nothing less than apotheosis of overwhelming feeling, an epitome of emotion that was so unattainably beautiful; death's but a trifle after this.I'd rate it one star ... for every time I cried (or could have, ought to and didn't), yet the scale doesn't reach that high.