Water Flower (2005)

A portrait of the relationship between Minako, a girl in junior high deserted by her mother when she was young, and Yu, Minako's younger half-sister who loves to ballet dance. On a whim, Minako takes Yu to the house of their late grandparents near the sea. As she spends time taking care and playing with her little sister, Minako takes on the role of a mother. She reminisces on her own happy childhood. Minako has reached the age when she feels more and more distant from her father, but holds a deeper resentment for her mother who eloped with another man, deserting Minako and her father. Making use of fixed long-shots and panning camera movements, director KINOSHITA Yusuke, effectively represents the changes within a young girl's mentality without depending solely on words. Though the late TERASHIMA Shuji had always been playing "mama's boys" in dramas, this film exceeds his previous works with the strongest point being his fully refined expressiveness. Working with veteran actors and staff, KINOSHITA created an impact unlike other new directors, conveying an uncommon ability in his purposeful direction. The sure-handed camera work poetically tracks the subtle changes in Minako's appearance without falling into sentimentality demonstrating a meticulous care for the material. The film will pull at the audience's heartstrings and leave an impression that a great, new talent has been encountered.