Be with You (2004)

In my mind, I have a list of five of the saddest films I've ever seen. Four minutes into watching Be With You, it had already made the list, so you can imagine how emotionally powerful this feature is. The combination of romance and drama, alongside science-fiction and fantasy, was developed especially well, while the focus on promises, family, sacrifice and happiness, as the film's central themes, made the experience all the more entertaining, every second of the feature having a pertinent part to play.Yuji (Yuta Hiraoka) is an 18 year old gentleman, who continues to have fond memories of a beautiful moment that happened when he was six. That year, he (Akashi Takei) lived with his widowed father Takumi (Shido Nakamura), who, while also suffering from an illness, had become a disillusioned and incomplete wreck without the presence of his adoring wife, Mio (Yuko Takeuchi), who had passed away a year before. Both however, lived in hope that the promise Mio made before her passing, that she would return during the rainy season, would come to fruition.When Mio miraculously appears, as promised, she has no memory of the past, Yuji and Takumi seeing this as an opportunity to start over, while reminding Mio of the love they once felt. Despite their rekindled happiness, father and son wonder what may come of Mio when the rainy season passes.The three lead actors were outstanding in their roles, the depth of their emotions creating a genuine on-screen family. Yosuke Asari and Chihiro Otsuka as Takumi and Mio during their adolescence, are equally talented in their roles, despite their minimal dialogue, convincingly showing their emotions through gesture and expression. Moreover, Karen Miyama as Takumi's co-worker, Aya, and You as Yuji's teacher, both deserved more on-screen time, as did Fumiyo Kohinata as Doctor Noguchi, who was especially appealing in his role.Moving on, the musical score heightened the emotional moments of the feature, though never at the expense of other production elements, while the directorial decisions pertaining to the use of camera were equally brilliant at increasing the film's beauty.By the end, I was very impressed how the film managed to bring everything together, so, despite the unique peculiarity of the plot, it actually made sense. I'm always on the look-out for films that will touch my heart, and Be With You will astonishingly do just this, while remaining in your thoughts long after the credits have rolled - safe to say, BRING LOTS OF TISSUES! On a side note, there is a scene in which you see a young boy's penis - those easily shocked by nudity may want to take precautions.

Though i've used IMDb for a long time, i felt compelled to finally create an account and write a comment on this movie - though it looks like these comments are just going be preaching to the choir! I'm 30 years old, and i can count on one hand the number of times that i have cried in my adult life. This is not to say that i completely lack emotion, nor is it to say that i haven't had tough times. It just seems that, even in my saddest moments, i can't even MAKE myself cry. Not only that, but i doubt i've shed more than a tear or two *ever* because of a movie - and i have a rather large collection.That was before i watched this movie. I cried more during this movie than i've cried in my entire adult life. I was completely blown away by how beautiful and touching it was. All of us dream of finding true love - someone who inspires you so much that your feelings become poetry in your head. Someone who can stand next to you on the coldest autumn morning and make the sunrise feel like spring dawning. But what if you met that person, and you lost them? This movie asks that question, and it shows you how powerful and important love is.I really can't say enough good things about this movie. I watched it without knowing anything about it at all. I didn't read the back of the movie, nor did i read any of the reviews - i just knew that it was a well regarded movie (i tend to do that with foreign movies). Although it took a while to really start feeling attached to the characters, by the middle of the movie i was emotionally on the edge of my seat. The movie is beautiful and inspirational. And i think you can tell by the torrent of 10/10s for this movie, it is a movie you will not soon forget.

I sought out this film on the strength of the reviews on IMDb and regard it as a gentle, enjoyable romantic drama. The performance of the 3 main actors in the family are lifelike and believable. Also the story is one which requires a second viewing. Definitely one film to save for a rainy day!The film is set in a small town and the plot involves a husband and son coping in life without the wife/mother who has died. Whilst walking one day the 2 remaining family members find a woman who looks exactly like the wife/mother but is behaving rather strangely. Is she who they think she is or is she someone else? Pros - Brilliant performances, cinematography and direction Cons - Apart from a minor flaw/feature in the plot, very believableOverall - Excellent romantic drama

I always liked Japanese TV shows and movies. The directors have great techniques and the images are unbelievably crisp and clear. They really know how to pick the sights to film. Everything is beautiful and feels like paradise. They know how to create a cinema experience that allow the viewers to leave the weary world and indulge in the fantasy for a little while.Usually I am not a big fan of romantic movies or chic flicks. Many of them are corny and many of them are too idealistic. You know that the story just could not happen in real life. You know love never happens that way in real life. You know that it is just a big fantasy created by the writer and director. You know it is too ridiculous to be true. This movie...well, my feeling towards this film is hard to describe. The plot fits the unrealistic bill (there are some time travel involved and a time limit). It fits the corny bill. It fits the fantasy bill. It fits everything I dislike about romance films; yet, I really like the film. I guess it was the underlying idea of everlasting love and what one would do in the name of love is what moved me. The idea is realistic enough that one feels it is possible and one hopes would happen to him. Who would not want someone, even knowing that the decision would kill her, still going through with it all because she loves you? The idea is so beautifully and sentimentally portrayed that the typical aspects of a chic flick (the corniness, the unrealisticless) can be ignored.I guess everyone is a sucker for love. At least the audiences in Japan seem to think so. It is the 3rd highest grossing film in Japan in 2004. I really recommend it. It is a pretty good date movie. It might be slow at times, but the slowness only helps the sentimental aspect, which is what this movie feeds on. Possibly even the hardest critic on love would love this film.8/10