During the last two decades, Hirokazu Koreeda has emerged as the contemporary master of Japanese family drama, with films like Nobody Knows, Still Walking, Like Father, Like Son and many more. After the Storm continues his legacy in the genre.
Ryota, an ex prize-winning novelist has fallen on hard times. He has stopped writing and currently works in a PI agency. However, he spends the money he earns (with shady tactics) on gambling, and is constantly broke. His wife, Kyoko has divorced him, and since he does not pay his alimony, she does not let him see his son. In order to cope, he tries to earn money by pawning stuff from his parents' house, although his mother, Yoshiko, is on to him, as is everybody else.
Furthermore, when he discovers that his wife is meeting someone, he starts stalking her, since he does not seem to be able to move on, in contrary to Kyoko and Yoshiko. In order to avoid becoming exactly like his deceased father, who has disappointed them all, he tries to play a more significant role in his son's life. A stormy night offers him a chance to redeem himself.
Hirokazu Koreeda directs another meaningful family drama in his usual style, which has become the norm …show more content…
Particularly during the second one, Yoshiko utters a phrase that encompasses the whole meaning of the film: "Men can't love the present. They just keep chasing whatever it is they've lost, or they keep dreaming beyond their reach."
In a sub-story, Koreeda also presents the work PI's do, and he does so in disdaining fashion. He depicts them as cunning, lying individuals, who have no regard for other people's privacy and are willing to do anything for money. Most of these scenes are humorous, but the message is quite clear. The fact that Yoshiko is ashamed of her son's line of work is a definite proof of Koreeda's opinion on the
Ryota, an ex prize-winning novelist has fallen on hard times. He has stopped writing and currently works in a PI agency. However, he spends the money he earns (with shady tactics) on gambling, and is constantly broke. His wife, Kyoko has divorced him, and since he does not pay his alimony, she does not let him see his son. In order to cope, he tries to earn money by pawning stuff from his parents' house, although his mother, Yoshiko, is on to him, as is everybody else.
Furthermore, when he discovers that his wife is meeting someone, he starts stalking her, since he does not seem to be able to move on, in contrary to Kyoko and Yoshiko. In order to avoid becoming exactly like his deceased father, who has disappointed them all, he tries to play a more significant role in his son's life. A stormy night offers him a chance to redeem himself.
Hirokazu Koreeda directs another meaningful family drama in his usual style, which has become the norm …show more content…
Particularly during the second one, Yoshiko utters a phrase that encompasses the whole meaning of the film: "Men can't love the present. They just keep chasing whatever it is they've lost, or they keep dreaming beyond their reach."
In a sub-story, Koreeda also presents the work PI's do, and he does so in disdaining fashion. He depicts them as cunning, lying individuals, who have no regard for other people's privacy and are willing to do anything for money. Most of these scenes are humorous, but the message is quite clear. The fact that Yoshiko is ashamed of her son's line of work is a definite proof of Koreeda's opinion on the