Little Forest: Summer/Autumn

2014 "Live off the land and recharge."
7.7| 1h51m| en
Details

Fleeing heartbreak in the big city, Ichiko returns to Komori, her rural hometown. She battles summer's rain and humidity, bakes her own bread, grows hothouse tomatoes and tills the fields. During autumn, the time for pickling and preserving fish and sweet potatoes, Ichiko begins reaping rice and recalls her departure five years before.

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Reviews

Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film
StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.
Staci Frederick Blistering performances.
phoenix 2 I've got mixed feelings about this one. Although it was beautiful, for a story as a whole it wasn't much. The plot dragged through the two films in snail pace, with the story being revealed too slowly. There is some depth in it, with the girl finally revealing us that her mother left her five years ago. And there is more to it, if the film had made a better presentation of the girl's relationship with her mother. Also, it would have been good if the movie focused a little on the reasons why she left the city to come back to her farm house, or why she left the farm house in the first place. But maybe the second film gives a clearer view on the matter. Other than that, the film focuses on the connection between nature, agriculture and cooking. The sceneries are beautiful, as well as the cinematography regarding the cooking process. I guess you can say that the performance of the leading lady was good, though she didn't have much to work with. So, 5 out of 10.
Hombredelfuturo ...the protagonist, a girl; comes back to her home in a rural area after have been living in the city for some time. The film shows a total exchange between Human beings and Nature. Displays the days (seasons) based on the food. Food that she make in an organically way; so, there are dishes (1st, 2nd, etc) then a voice giving us detailed specs of those delicious recipes. It also shows us enough of the daily work performed directly in that interchange with Nature. On one side is for what has she come for (and her doubts); this is something that is seen throughout the film. An example is the distant relationship with her mother in the past. Now, she has gone but nobody know(still)where; she has not left a note and the protagonist, does not seems to care much about it. The girl speaks not so much, but when she does it, generates concise thoughts that clears up her mind. The relationship with friends and old time neighbors is showed too. She acts just OK; she does not express any feeling; in a robotic kind of way.Correct photography and beautiful landscapes make that with a few shoots one has a great idea of ​​what would be a life in such rural area.Maybe that's the way we human beings should have evolved?... respect for nature, little intervention or necessary and delimited foot prints; each one living in their own way but in a civilized manner; adequate share of progress and technology. A fine tuning that many have lost; probably because we are too many and livelihood is not easy for most; Also worth seeing that the countryside of some countries is more likely to achieve this link between nature and technology due to have several details of the modern life tuned. The film has everything to be a great drama, however, it does not generate the necessary spark; it needs a bit more depth, more involved acting in the main character (this film has not the power of a Kiarostami film...); or perhaps that was what the director wanted to show¿? show a girl who seems to be immune to everything. There is a second part (another movie) called Winter/Spring; where I suppose, will close this cycle.
raythegamerz Beautiful girl eating beautifully in a beautiful environment, isn't that pleasant? Indeed. My first impression about this movie is that this one is really pleasing to the eye. Its always been interesting to watch or read about rural Japan. To know how neat and peaceful it can be, sure is amazing for me. Furthermore, the movie provides more details about living in it. All the cooking and planting tips are neatly shown, but then the dramas get a bit sloppy. There are some wasteful scenes that bother.The story is very interesting but we can easily lose our grip to it by the long shown details of the processes of the main character's daily life. The movie provides lots of details yet lacking the essential others, like heartwarming social life of rural area (its shown, but lacking and not well-drawn).I don't usually bothered by the acting but I really was in this one. All the cooking are amazing, but they don't look that exciting. Food featured movies usually gives us the sensation of cooking excitement. But I think the actress failed by only giving the charm of her beauty and putting the beauty of cooking aside. Her expression also doesn't tell so much about how good her cooking is. I know that the main character having a rough and tough life, but since the movie focused on food making, I think it should detail the joy of it more.Anyway, the movie is good or I'd rather say it is 'fresh' and I'll recommend people to watch it. Especially for those Hashimoto Ai's fans, this movie will certainly be a delight, haha. I really looking forward for the Winter/Spring and I hope it could answer all my questions for this one. P.S. If you are looking for other movies featuring rural Japan, here are some that I remember: A Gentle Breeze in the Village(2006), Wood Job!(2014), and 700 Days of Battle: Us vs The Police(2008).
KFL This is a rather odd review I'm writing. I rate this 9/10, which means I absolutely will be watching it again; but I'm not sure I can recommend it to a general audience, particularly a Western, city- centric audience.There is very little by way of a "story" here. What there is instead, is recipes, and tips for growing tomatoes and mustard spinach, and how ducks are used to keep rice paddies healthy, and absolutely breathtaking scenery, and more recipes, and reflections on the life-force of plants, and how to cook akebi properly, and more breathtaking scenery from rural Japan, and occasional hints of a romantic link to a local young man or some familial difficulty, and tips for making jam, ...and more recipes.If you have wondered about the feasibility of living a more nearly self-sufficient life in a rural area, or are curious about such a life in northern Japan, you may find this worthwhile, perhaps even entrancing, possibly even downright mesmerizing. The latter describes my response fairly well.Anyone who thinks rural areas mean bugs and heat and dirty water and no cellphone service, you have just wasted 22 seconds reading this review and certainly will not want to watch even the trailer for this film.