Moving: SOOMAI Shinji’s drama tells the story of an 11-year-old girl who is struggling with her parents’ separation and possible divorce; charming and lovely she may be, but her only weapon is misbehaviour, so she does what she can to keep them together. It’s a delicate, moving (yes, yes), often lyrical journey, made all the more effective by how lovely the protagonist is as portrayed by TABATA Tomoko; lost in a new reality, smart, mischievous but respectful, she is a winning character. Her parents are played like oil and water by SAKURADA Junko (a hard-working but caring mother) and NAKAI Kiichi (the messier father, who projects the aura of a loser). Cinematographer KURITA Toyomichi often uses extended takes, with a subtly moving camera; the style doesn’t call too much attention to itself, but it gives the film a nice visual identity. Quite an interesting watch.