Japanese family drama is on par with 'Ozu'

Films about the loss of a family member are a tricky affair. They usually exploit the audience’s emotions and rarely convey any meaningful truths about life after loss. Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Still Walking” is stunning in how deftly it avoids the pitfalls of the grief film
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The film mostly takes place in two days during the anniversary of the death of a beloved eldest son. His younger brother, Ryota, visits for the occasion, but he is unable to live up to his brother’s idealized image in his parents’ eyes.

Ryota never became a doctor like his father. He never had the glowing personality of his brother. And now he has married a widow with a young son, still something of a taboo to his traditional parents. The film ends on a note of resignation, suggesting nothing will ever change.

The film’s use of a mostly static camera and its focus on generational conflict is reminiscent of the great Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu. Like Ozu, Kore-eda has created a work of great beauty and emotion.