Permanent Nobara

Permanent Nobara

Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2010 Japanese films set in the idyllic countryside are a distinct genre—one whose blend of melodrama and nostalgia usually leaves all but the most ardent followers cold. Permanent Nobara is no exception. Talented director Daihachi Yoshida, fresh off his award-winning con-man comedy Kuhio Taisa (2009), here offers up a […]

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Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2010

©2010映画「パーマネント野ば ら」製作委員会

Japanese films set in the idyllic countryside are a distinct genre—one whose blend of melodrama and nostalgia usually leaves all but the most ardent followers cold. Permanent Nobara is no exception. Talented director Daihachi Yoshida, fresh off his award-winning con-man comedy Kuhio Taisa (2009), here offers up a simpering dud. Set in Yoshida’s home prefecture of Kochi, the film employs thematic clichés (petty small town rivalries) and shopworn visuals (shots of the glimmering sea), plus a sappy soundtrack to boot. The story centers around a hair salon run by Masako (Mari Natsuki), whose adult daughter Naoko (Miho Kanno) has escaped her abusive husband, divorced him, and returned home with her preschool daughter (Yu Hatakeyama). There she finds a sorry group of men who chase after the Filipina hostesses at the only snakku in town, while their wives commiserate at the salon. Will Naoko find love among this sorry group of jackals? It would really be hard to care less. (99 min)