24/19
A repressed matriarch and sadly exaggerated circumstances – a worrying earthquake, crushing debts, a dying ex-husband, an angry coworker and her son’s girlfriend who drive her to the brink. The title "Hamon" is a standard Japanese word that literally means “ripple”, and metaphorically, the effects each of us has on others. This is emphasized several times in this film with scenes where the main characters – wife, husband, son, etc. – stand in a shallow lake and the waves emanating from one character spread out in the usual circular pattern to reach the others, providing ample visualizations of interpersonal relationships, but nothing that could not be applied to any film involving people. Or, indeed, any living organism follows the plight of a Japanese housewife who has to deal with her husband’s sudden disappearance, the death of her husband’s father, her only son’s escape to university and then his career. as far as one can travel without leaving Japan (well, except for Okinawa), and then the reappearance of said lost husband. Among other things. It has a fair amount of humor, a fair amount of bathing, some awkward scenes with a deaf fiancé who is brought home by his son without any prior notice, it was surprising, exciting, invigorating, actually quite wonderful. Oh!