Cherry Blossoms review

A German-Japanese slow-burner about a family grown apart

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Doris Dörrie’s family drama reworks Yasujiro Ozu’s classic Tokyo Story in a German-Japanese context.

An elderly couple in a Bavarian village decide to visit their grown-up children in Berlin, a married son and a lesbian daughter. But their children have grown away from them – only their daughter’s girlfriend will make time for them.

Two twists, though: the wife knows her husband’s got a fatal disease, but hasn’t told him, and the other – well, it comes about 40 minutes in and it’ll surprise you. An affectionate, gentle film, if marred by sentimentality.

Philip Kemp

Total Film

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

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