262
631
132
10
11
14
11
3
10
28
6
13
1
2
16
23
7
4
3
2
2
4
6
1
1
2
6
14
17
34
The beauty and the pain of white lies.
Somehow does not hit the mark by not diving deep enough into the connections between the characters and separate stories. It’s for sure a light feel good slice of life comedy, but it’s so light there is little to actually feed the soul and make you reflect on different themes presented. It gave me less of a “found family” and more of a “found acquaintances”.
It started great. The way the drama sets the stage and the characters grabbed my attention right away. Since I did not read the synopsis I had no idea what the plot was about, so the funeral scene introducing the Rental Family business surprised me in a positive way - setting the tone for the movie perfectly.
I was ready for some questionable situations that even if at times feel a bit “wrong”, still give the positive and heartwarming message. A nice contrast between what is right and wrong, what feels right and wrong, and what brings the best or the least harmful consequences. I really liked the idea of a more realistic slice of life, where you can still sense how restricted the characters are by the society and its standards, and how they just try to navigate through it causing the least harm. But the movie never fully delivered.
Too many stories, too many characters and too many relationships, not enough screen time. Whenever it’s about Phillip’s changing priorities, becoming part of the team, Shinji Tada’s past story (that seems to be so complex it could be a movie itself, instead of getting 2-3 random scenes here and there), Aiko Nakajima’s dedication to the job and her struggle with setting boundaries, or any of the customer’s tales - nothing made me feel satisfied by the end.
I wish this was a short series - one or two episodes per customer. Give me some time to get attached, to care, to reflect on their individual struggles and what made them use the service in the first place. As a movie, a lot of progress and development was simply fast forwarded.
That said, I did enjoy the overall vibe of the film. It was less moving and more fun. The comedy was probably my favorite aspect - at times dry, but fitting the tone. While the performances were strong, since the story felt less deep, I was not exactly touched by any of the actor's portrayals of the characters. I expected to cry at least a few times, but at the end my eyes were perfectly dry.
Overall, fun, but less than what I expected. Somehow I am not quite satisfied with the second half, especially with how well the whole scenario was set up.
It started great. The way the drama sets the stage and the characters grabbed my attention right away. Since I did not read the synopsis I had no idea what the plot was about, so the funeral scene introducing the Rental Family business surprised me in a positive way - setting the tone for the movie perfectly.
I was ready for some questionable situations that even if at times feel a bit “wrong”, still give the positive and heartwarming message. A nice contrast between what is right and wrong, what feels right and wrong, and what brings the best or the least harmful consequences. I really liked the idea of a more realistic slice of life, where you can still sense how restricted the characters are by the society and its standards, and how they just try to navigate through it causing the least harm. But the movie never fully delivered.
Too many stories, too many characters and too many relationships, not enough screen time. Whenever it’s about Phillip’s changing priorities, becoming part of the team, Shinji Tada’s past story (that seems to be so complex it could be a movie itself, instead of getting 2-3 random scenes here and there), Aiko Nakajima’s dedication to the job and her struggle with setting boundaries, or any of the customer’s tales - nothing made me feel satisfied by the end.
I wish this was a short series - one or two episodes per customer. Give me some time to get attached, to care, to reflect on their individual struggles and what made them use the service in the first place. As a movie, a lot of progress and development was simply fast forwarded.
That said, I did enjoy the overall vibe of the film. It was less moving and more fun. The comedy was probably my favorite aspect - at times dry, but fitting the tone. While the performances were strong, since the story felt less deep, I was not exactly touched by any of the actor's portrayals of the characters. I expected to cry at least a few times, but at the end my eyes were perfectly dry.
Overall, fun, but less than what I expected. Somehow I am not quite satisfied with the second half, especially with how well the whole scenario was set up.
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