Jamie passion and passionfruit!

A strange Japanese film which has some very enjoyable moments and a weird mix of the mundane, the supernatural and anime comics.  Definitely one of the most inventive works of the year and evidence that Asian directors have plenty of imagination.  Katsushiro Ishii is the name to recall here and he conjures up a very nice tale of an ordinary family living in a village outside Tokyo who each have their dreams and challenges to confront.  The scene where the brother records a song is hilarious and the legacy of drawings the grandad leaves for the family is also one of the most touching moments I’ve seen on film for ages.  For all that, the film is a little uneven and the pace seems to drag in parts no doubt in part from a poor translation.  Still, for variety and ingenuity ‘A taste of tea’  gets a good recommendation from me.

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