Rating: 
Summary: Simply the best film i have ever seen
Review: i watched this film for the first time in a japanese film class and was totally unprepared. The combination of the director and dp's masterful use of all natural lighting and only two moving shots creates a beautiful and haunting story. The tone and visual asthetic of this film are a much the point as the characters if not more. In a word it is simply breath taking.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent movie! Poor transfer.
Review: I'm very enthusiastic about this movie (see my earlier review), however it should be noted that the quality of the print is extremely poor. The movie was transferred to tape and subtitled for release in the U.S. and unfortunately the DVD was taken from this low quality tape transfer rather than being printed from the film. If a better print were released in the U.S. I'd rush to buy it. How about it Criterion Collection?
Rating:
Summary: POWERFUL, SUBTLE, AND SUBLIME, BUT NOT FOR EVERYONE
Review: I've never seen such a powerful film. Mostly focusing on a series of scenes of everyday activities, it illustrates better than any other film I've seen the painful experience of dealing with the loss of someone we love and going on without them. Very stark and minimalistic, it probably won't be to everyones taste, rooted as it is in stillness and silence, but for me, it's the best film ever made.
Rating:
Summary: Follow the Light
Review: If one is familiar with Kore-eda's later film _After Life_ one already knows that death and memory play key parts in his films. After creating stellar documentaries concerning such subjects as AIDS and what it is like for a Korean man passing himself off as Japanese for decades, Kore-eda created _Maborosi_ a film that takes a close look at the greif caused by losing a loved one.The film starts off by showing a young girl named Yumiko trying to convince her grandmother to return home, however, the grandmother is determined to return home to die. Yumiko is unable to prevent her grandmother from leaving and this weighs on her young mind. Warp twelve or so years later and Yumiko is married to her childhood friend Ikuo and is the mother of a three year old son. Yumiko and Ikuo are far from well off, they live in a very small apartment with incredibly thin walls, but they seem to be decently happy. Well, at least Yumiko seems happy. After her husband brings home his bike and leaves with an umbrella, the next thing we learn is that he was killed walking on the train tracks. A suspected suicide. Time passes and Yumiko's mother arranges her a marriage with a widower who lives in Kanazawa. Unlike her small apartment, Yumiko and her son move into a large old house with her new husband, his father, and his daughter. Ikuo gets along beautifully with his step-grandfather and step-sister and while it seems Yumiko likes her husband well enough, the shadow of Ikuo is always preasant. This is a gorgeous film. Kore-eda does a wonderful job depicting the living conditions of a lower working class family and goes on to show ramshackle, but lovely older homes by the sea. Yumiko's husband's home looks incredibly shabby on the outside, but the polished hardwood floors and traditional furniture are extraordinary. Kore-eda also pays close attention to nature by showing the natural beauty of the region.
Rating: 
Summary: doesnt work dull and boring
Review: interesting story line but shallow and goes nowhere. kubrick style drawn out and paced shots are unimaginative, poorly composed, and add little or nothing to the experience. looks like the ending is just a contrivance to exit a lost story line. i've lived in rural japan and it's the most boring place on earth (perhaps the intent here but hardly something you'd pay money to suffer thru or for masochists only), you dont think the younger generations flee to the cities for no reason at all?
Rating:
Summary: If you love Japanese culture, you'll love this film
Review: Maborosi (Maboroshi no Hikari) is a beautiful film. It's simply one of the best movies in my Japanese collection (which isn't small). Not that having lived for several years in the rural area where much of the movie is set biases my opinion. The imagery and music are wonderful. The story is contemplative and haunting. Esumi Makiko is beautiful. The acting is as natural as the Japanese countryside. Even after many viewings, this movie holds up -- I wish I could find more like this one.
Rating: 
Summary: A lovely, haunting film
Review: Maborosi is a beautifully shot movie. It is shot in real time, showing the slowness of life and grief. As Yumiko sits in dark rooms, her face heartbreakingly restrained, she is surrounded by grief. Sometimes the darkness was so thick I could not make out the faces of the characters, but this is a movie of sweetness that is never sentimental.
Rating:
Summary: Wasted Time
Review: Over the recent holiday season I rented this video because my girlfriend is a fan of the leading actress. I was happy to give it a try, given that I am a fan of Japanese culture and have resided there for several years. Judging from the box I expected a gripping story. How disappointed I was. The film had very little plot to actually engross the viewer. Also the cinematography made it difficult to watch. The director used very poor lighting and constant long shots, making it very difficult to see details in the characters' interactions or the settings used. There were also several scenes where the white subtitles were invisible over white or very light backgrounds - a pet peeve of mine when watching subtitled films. I confess that half-way through the film I gave up trying to be interested and did something more worthwhile (anything really). My girlfriend endured, insisting that it could only get better. An hour later she screamed "That's all!?!" She was envious of me for bailing out when I did.
Rating:
Summary: Very nice
Review: The camera techniques and the subtle use of expression instead of words made me like this film. I found myself captivated by the movie and trying to figure out what she must be thinking. I was excited to see how she would react to certain things like her new husband. I liked how they use that technique where they just shoot a picture of an object, like when everybody left the room and they show the door closed for a moment. It reminded me of how another director, "Beat" Takeshi, films an actor looking at something instead of showing the object/event itself. Kudos to the director for making this film great. This movie is a perfect example of why I tend to like Japanese films more than American ones.
Rating:
Summary: Very nice
Review: The camera techniques and the subtle use of expression instead of words made me like this film. I found myself captivated by the movie and trying to figure out what she must be thinking. I was excited to see how she would react to certain things like her new husband. I liked how they use that technique where they just shoot a picture of an object, like when everybody left the room and they show the door closed for a moment. It reminded me of how another director, "Beat" Takeshi, films an actor looking at something instead of showing the object/event itself. Kudos to the director for making this film great. This movie is a perfect example of why I tend to like Japanese films more than American ones.
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