Title: Parade パレード
Currently available for viewing on: Netflix (subject to geographical location)
Rating: 6 /10
Recommended for:
Those who like fantasy stories with a light touch on the meaning of life and death
Liked:
- Compared to the past Fujii Michihito films/dramas like "Village" or "Avalanche" which I watched before, this film had a warm and fuzzy vibe despite the theme being quite serious i.e. the afterlife and the regrets or things which the deceased cannot let go of which lead them to linger in the mortal world. Visuals of those in the afterlife zone had a fantastical touch with warm tones which contrasted with the greyish tone in the mortal world of human beings. The story flowed smoothly like a gentle river so it wasn't really emotional or dramatic.
- The acting from the star ensemble - all of them at the leading actor/actress level. They all got their moments to shine so the distribution of air time was relatively even as each character's background story was featured. If you are a fan of any of the cast members, this might not be satisfying enough for you though.
Disliked:
- The discrepancies and loopholes in the story. For example, the dead aren't supposed to be able to touch anything and anyone in the mortal world. However, there were some developments which defied this rule and there was no plausible explanation for these exceptions so it really got on my nerves. If you can ignore these illogical parts, the story might be more palatable for you.
- The overall vibe of the film was relaxing but at the same time, it also lacked "high points" to leave an impression on me. It felt like nothing was addressed and answered and that it was purposely done in this way for the viewers to derive their own conclusions on the meaning of life and death. Not that this is a bad way of handling the material but I had the feeling that I ended up being none the wiser about what the director was trying to convey. Or maybe he didn't have any specific message to convey to begin with.
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