I am a big admirer of Japanese cinema, film makers like Kurusawa, Koreeda, Oshima Imamura and the list goes on. And also from time to time I enjoy slow cinema, but in the case of Naomi Kawase Still The Water and her other previous film "Mourning Forest" for witch reasons i don't understand why the jury awarded it the grand prize there were far better films competing that year like Russia's entry and brilliant The Banishment. Still the water had an interesting concept for a great story and its tropical location and beautiful cinematography, still the screenplay falls flat the characters seem to sleepwalk through the whole film. I truly believe Naomi makes film for her and friends and she is unaware that audiences outside her realm are falling asleep to her films. i give this film a D.

This review is not about the film but the crude American taste.Whenever my cinema-savvy friends criticised Hollywood, I'd jokingly dismiss their arguments, saying I enjoy action-packed, fun films for afternoons and that Hollywood has great production. I stand corrected.This film has been given a 5 by metacritic. Check out the reviews. They say silent moments are awkward.. or that stares are long... I had an epiphany that Americans and their layman critics have actually no appreciation for an actual good work when they see one. Everybody likes a big Mac but in no way it means you can slam a 5-michelin star cuisine.I always acknowledged Hollywood films try to appeal to the lowest common denominator. It makes them fun to a point. But I realised today it's not just their audience that is unnaturally confused with junk, but apparently American select critics are actually the lowest common denominator.P.S. IMDb will not be a universal source until it goes beyond Hollywood standards.

What a pleasure! Seldom does a film touch on so many important questions, THE important questions I would say, with so much taste and grace and easiness. Seen through the eyes of two 16 year old teenagers we get to know two families, both in trouble, one dying parent, one split marriage and how each kid reacts to the situation. And this is reflected in the friendship and blossoming relationship between the teenagers. Questions of endless love and the believe of a life after death are raised and form the central drive of the story.The film is almost two hours long but for these questions you definitely need time to feel and tell. There is no wrong sentence or behavior in this movie, it is a quiet film with many silent moments where you have a chance to look and think. Something very rare nowadays. The overall feeling is a very positive one and you leave the film with hope and joy!

Death, love, commitment...the movie treats those question in a very human rhythm, and surprises you in its deepness. I was moved to tears.It's set in a paradisaical coast of a Japanase island, full of light and sea. The actors are impressively true and beautiful.Japanase music being played and sang was a real plus too. The few scenes happening in Tokyo were a really good reflection to appreciate better the lifestyle in that countryside.the last third of the movie was maybe a little bit slow to reveal itself, but it saved some great scenes and was matching the rest of it.It's also socially and culturally very enriching and interesting. Leaves you with true surprises about the way these kids behave towards losing someone, towards relationships, etc.