In modern times, foreign language movies have made a huge and long lasting impression on cinema and have pulled many viewers towards them. With movies such as Children of Heaven, A Separation, The lives of others and Incendies, foreign cinema has contributed a lot to the film industry. Iranian and Japanese cinemas, in specific, have amazed us with some masterpieces in the past. After the Storm is one of many Japanese movies which not only have entertained us with its solid screenplay but have also raised a lot of questions to put our minds to some exercise. After the Storm, directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, circles around a private detective who loses his money in gambling and then struggles to pay child support money. He undergoes several problems and issues to reconnect with his son and ex-wife. Hirokazu have made some very good movies in the past such as Nobody Knows and After Life but After the Storm is the best of his work. The movie doesn't include any major plot twist rather it's entirely based on family dynamics and it's a domestic melodrama, filled with emotional speeches and ferocious acts of parental selfishness. Ryota, the lead character, works for a private detective agency and has a son but after the death of his father he seems to have lost the control of his life, wastes all his money on racing tracks and ends up as same kind of father as the man who raised him. His ex-wife Kyoke is also shown as a confused individual who is worried about her future prospects and Shingo, his son, seems to be on the same path of uncertainty and struggle as his parents. The best thing I have extracted from the movie is the idea that there are so many things of great value in our life but we never realize their true significance till we lost them. It also reminds us that nothing is more important than the moment you are currently in. Koreeda's After the Storm is slow-paced, sad and apologetic. The movie questions one of the basic human behavior that how to move forward amidst all the frustration and loss and leaves it to the viewers to find their own answer. The character of Ryota tells us a lot about how time can change so drastically and how things go wrong for you all at once. A former prize winner for his novel ends up as a failure to his own self, to his son and his family. But life isn't about giving up rather it's about standing up every time it tries to keep you down. And Ryota tries to overcome his loss although he falls short every time. The movie tells us that even if we lose control of our lives we can take it back, it's all about our attitude towards our loss. Life demands a lot from us, sometimes it tests our resolution and calls for our persistence because we can try for what we want, but achieving it not easy as it is exhibited by Hirokazu through his masterpiece. After the Storm is about the intimate struggle of moving forward and brings forward the lesson of keep on trying, no matter how hard the life is, because you can only achieve when you're ready to endure the pain beyond your limits. What is lost can be won again, it's only the matter of belief and grit. Screenplay of After the Storm is beyond any admiration as Hirozaku has beautifully portrayed the life of a common man and have magnificently summed up the struggle of moving forward in this life. The story doesn't have any loopholes in it, it connects the characters with such perfection that viewers never lose the plot. It binds its viewers with such strong force that make them able to both enjoy the movie and listen to the truth the movie speaks. Although the direction of the movie is flawless but its screenplay has come out as the most promising production element. Above discussion can be concluded with the biggest truth we learn from the movie, life is less about getting what you want than it is wanting what you get.
Review of After the Storm
