The Third Murder (2017)

This is something of a departure for Koreeda. Though there are some family dynamics here (father-son, father-daughter), they are not the focus of the movie. In fact, the introduction of some of these familial relations seem rather irrelevant. Instead this is a legal thriller. The themes raise grand questions about justice. The answers aren't apparent. But Koreeda does a good job at mystifying the truth. While the movie doesn't pack the same emotional punch as his family dramas, his writing is still careful and deliberate. And the mise en scene is still striking. I'm a fan of reflections in the glass.

Nobody Knows (2004)

Koreeda is the master of the family-themed drama. This is perhaps the most tragic of his movies. Sadness is usually tempered by sweetness, but the tragedy in this one is really overwhelming. That these children manage to find happiness amidst their horrifying situation is heartbreaking. And the director just tugs and tugs and tugs until the ending which offers no resolution. The child actors, particularly Yuya Yagira, are phenomenal. He is a portrait of fortitude and survival throughout and then we are reminded that he is just a kid being deprived of his childhood and desires. And so he struggles to maintain the one thing he has: his siblings. As always, Koreeda's direction is delicate. His writing is careful and deliberate. His camerawork is beautiful. Nobody Knows is trademark Koreeda.

Shoplifters (2018)

Hirokazu Koreeda's Palme d'Or winner is a powerful meditation on family, as are all of his films. In his previous works, he has analyzed different family dynamics, but in this film he uniquely asks what makes a family? He does slow, careful, bittersweet drama so well. Don't take anything for granted. The screenplay slowly unravels what he wants you to know when he wants you to know it. But you must pay close attention to the dialogue. Everything is deliberate. This is Kiki Kirin's final performance. She was an frequent collaborator with Koreeda and she is just as magnificent in this movie. All the performances are believable as one big content family.

Our Little Sister (Umimachi Diary) (2015)

Hirokazu Koreeda is the master of family dramas. He makes you smile, makes you cry, and makes you do both simultaneously. He chooses his words carefully, his dialogue so carefully scripted. His movies are delicate and quiet. He makes beautiful, life affirming movies. Our Little Sister is no different. Three adult sisters take in their younger stepsister to live with them following the death of their estranged father. The sisters have such great chemistry on screen. It makes you want to be a part of their family. It's a movie with a simple premise that just works. It's not his best work (it's a high bar) but it is a fantastic movie nonetheless.

Like Father, Like Son (2013)

This is another beautiful film from the Japanese master, but I feel like there is something missing. Unlike Still Walking and After the Storm, this movie is missing that moment when the emotion just overwhelms you and you don't quite know why.  That moment is not necessarily at the climax. It sneaks up on you quietly and delicately. That being said, this movie doesn't really have a climax. There is a runaway scene that almost hits a climax, but it doesn't quite get there. There is a scene when emotion finally hits the protagonist, but at that point it's too late. He has been so emotionless for so long that it doesn't make the viewer emotional.

The movie still has Koreeda's characteristic carefully crafted dialogue. He maybe does a little more telling than he typically does, usually letting the visuals speak for themselves.  He's typically a master of show-don't-tell. The movie is a switched-at-birth drama that asks if parents can love a child that is not theirs. The kids are so cute and so good.

Still Walking (2008)

Hirokazu Koreeda has become one of my favorite directors. His movies are moving family dramas. And this one is simply beautiful. He is the heir apparent to an earlier Japanese master, Yasujiro Ozu. His movies are somehow calming and emotional at the same time. The pacing is so deliberate, the camera so still. His dialogue is so delicate. The plot details slowly reveal themselves in carefully crafted dialogue as the characters muse about life. This movie is 24 hours in the lives of the Yokoyama family. They get together every year to commemorate the death of the eldest son, Junpei. Death is a major theme in the movie, but rather than simply highlighting death, Koreeda manages to bring out the pain of life. That's life as it really is. Grief takes many forms. It's a brilliantly heartwarming movie. It's a little difficult to explain what I love so much about Koreeda, but I can't wait to watch the next one.

After the Storm (Umi yori mo Mada Fukaku) (2016)

This was one of my favorite films in the festival but I am having a little difficulty explaining why. Perhaps it is the humility of the characters, the realistic and relatable qualities of a flawed individual. Kiki Kilin is hilarious. I think she is like Japan's Betty White, still going and cracking jokes. Even if that's a bad analogy, she is certainly a big star. This is a family drama that is funny about a divorced father trying to reconnect with his son and ex-wife. It is simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming and side-splitting without ever being saccharine--a delicate balance. It is simply a well executed relatively simple film. It's faultless. It doesn't need to be flashy, just good acting and good writing.