Do you ever want to feel artistically superior to all of your friends? Maybe you are tired of your friends talking about how great the latest action film is and want to sound better. Maybe you want to impress your date with obscure film trivia. Maybe you think that knowing a lot about film history and art will somehow validate your meaningless existence and will replace that ever-growing pit in your heart that tells you that you don’t matter and no one cares about you. Well, don’t worry! Because I watch a bunch of art house films and can give you recommendations on what to watch and what to feel superior about! So without any delay, let’s get pretentious!

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The best way I can describe the films that I’ve seen by Hirokazu Kore-eda is to say they remind me of a spring breeze. The films of his that I’ve seen remind me of my childhood. His films have the same dynamic tone seen in Yasujiro Ozu’s work, but with just a slight bit more dirt. I really enjoy watching Kore-eda’s filmography and he is one of those directors that I am gladly watching all the way through currently. Which leads me to why I choose this film, Still Walking, for my review this week.

Still Walking, is a 2008 Japanese film directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. Still Walking follows the Yokoyama family as they come together to mourn the death of Junpei, the eldest son, on the 15th anniversary of his death. Despite the heavy tone, the film never gets dark I would say. Though the theme of the film reminds me of something I would see in something directed by Jacques Audiard, it never becomes a haunting film that a director like Audiard would make. It remains a Kore-eda film through and through, where the film just feels calm. There is sadness, but there is never sorrow.

If there was a performance that I wanted to highlight, it would probably be Hiroshi Abe. Abe plays Ryota, the youngest son of the Yokoyama family. Ryota feels as though his parents wish he had died instead of his brother. On top of that, he must introduce his wife and stepson to his family, which also causes conflict. Hiroshi Abe’s performance is very nuanced in the film and he delivers something both subtle and impactful with his performance. Abe’s performance completely blew me away in this film.

Though I did enjoy the film, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I was expecting or hoping. I far more enjoyed his film Like Father, Like Son as well as Our Little Sister to a lesser extent. I honestly expected this to be his magnum opus, as it was the average highest rating on Letterboxd. Though the film is by no means bad and is actually very good, I might have just had too high of expectations and I should have just checked those expectations at the door. But currently, as it stands I was a tad bit let down by the film.

I don’t have much else to say about the film. It’s a very calm and enjoyable film. It doesn’t push the boundaries of film nor does it revolutionize anything. But it doesn’t need to. Because it is a great way to calm down. It’s a great way to smile. I think this film has a lot to enjoy because it’s one of those films. Kore-eda is the director equivalent of a feel-good hangover movie. You can just put it on, and not have to worry about anything. You just let it play.