Our Little Sister is a Japanese film (with subtitles) based on the graphic novel Umimachi Diary by Yoshida Akimi. Three sisters travel to Yamagata for the funeral of their father. There, they are surprised to find a 13-year-old half-sister, Suzu, whose mother has died. The oldest sister, Sachi (a nurse), realizes Suzu cared for their dying father. Impulsively, Sachi invites Suzu to come on live with her and the other two sisters in Kamakura. Suzu–for reasons we learn later–agrees. The Koda sisters are very different from one another. Sachi, played by Haruka Ayase, is having an affair with a married pediatrician. Middle sister, Yoshino (played by Masami Nagasawa) works for a bank but drinks too much and always seems to fall for the Wrong Guy. Chinko (Kaho) is a free-spirit. She works in a sporting goods store and dates a guy who lost six toes attempting to climb Mount Everest.
No explosions, no gunplay, no violence. But drama enters every scene as the sisters learn about each other’s problems and fears. This is a quiet film that will stay with you long after you walk out of the theater. GRADE: A
We saw this in Cracow. I loved it.
Patti, Hollywood would never make a movie like OUR LITTLE SISTER. We loved it, too!
Never heard of it before. Sounds like a movie Jackie would love.
Jeff, the acting is so natural! And the involving plot really draws you into the film.
even though dramas are my least favorite genre (tie with schlocky horror), this sounds intriguing.
Maggie, the story of the sisters really pulls you into the movie. You would enjoy OUR LITTLE SISTER.
The thing about it is-it is both sad and joyful. Another one about sisters on netflix that was great was MUSTANG.
Patti, I’ll have to track down a copy of MUSTANG. Our Netflix is down right now.
I could sit there and read the subtitles, but then I’d miss the movie, or I could watch the movie but not know what they are saying, or try to do both and miss pieces of both. I just can’t manage foreign language films with subtitles. So, not for me.
Another thought: one is having an affair, another is an alcoholic, the third a “free spirit”, whatever that means, exactly. Are there no normal regular people? Does everyone have to have some kind of problem?
Jackie resisted foreign language films for that reason for years, but it just isn’t true and she got over it. You are missing a lot of great movies.
Jeff, I’ve watched most TV programs and movies with CLOSED CAPTION on. Doesn’t bother me a bit.
It’s true for me, I’ve tried dozens of times, to no avail.
Rick, everyone has problems. These three sisters work together to help one another which is inspiring.
I have friends that won’t watch subtitled movies, but I have never had a problem with them. Sure beats a dubbed movie.
Steve, I agree with you on dubbing. Too often the voices are wrong for the character. And, of course, the lip movements don’t sync up.
The weirdest thing for us was going to see American movies in Europe. The first one I remember was AMERICAN GRAFFITI, which we saw in Paris. It was in English, of course, but my eyes kept being drawn to the French subtitles! And a lot of them were very odd translations.
Jeff, I must confess I haven’t seen an American movie in a foreign country…except for Canada.
So it was in Canadian with English subtitles? Wow.
I saw a Spaghetti Western in Taiwan with Chinese subtitles and English dubbing.
Bob, I’m pretty sure most of those spaghetti westerns that had American actors had them speak English, but the Italian extras spoke Italian.
I saw this in Cracow so it had both Polish and English subtitles and I never noticed it. You do get used to it. Although I find watching subtitled foreign TV series on TV is a strain. I gave up GOMORRAH after ten minutes. You need to read too fast when it is dialog heavy.
Patti, I have the CLOSED CAPTION option on for ELEMENTARY and SHERLOCK. Both Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch speak so fast the captions can’t keep up!