Stoic Takata (Ken Takakura), a coastal Japanese fisherman, has been estranged from his son Kenichi for decades. The estrangement is the father's deepest regret which he knows not how to face. A terminal illness in his son forces him to try and close the wide open chasm. The only tool he has is a tape handed to him by his son's wife. Soon he finds himself traveling thousands of miles to China hoping to understand his son and mend the relationship.After a brief disastrous detour with "House of Flying Daggers", Yimou Zhang returns to his melodramatic best. Reminiscent of his past films like "To Live" and "Not One Less", the focus of his lens is again on rural China, while gently weaving the themes of community and family. The striking difference here though is the silent melancholy of Takakura which exposes his usual melodrama in a different light.
Rating: * * *
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