Machiko Ono Movies

Two people dealing with loss come together in this drama from Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase. Machiko (Machiko Ono) is a woman who is still recovering emotionally from the death of her young son when she takes a job at a nursing home, where she helps care for the elderly and ailing residents. One of Machiko's charges is Shigeki (Shigeki Uda), a kind but frustrating man who is slipping into senility. Machiko reminds Shigeki of his late wife, while she similarly develops a filial fondness for him. For his birthday, Machiko takes Shigeki for a drive in the country, but her car breaks down and she has to go for help. When Machiko returns a few minutes later, she discovers Shigeki has run off into the nearby woods, and she has to go in and look for him. While Machiko does eventually find Shigeki, she still has a car that won't start and it's too dark to walk back to town; while Machiko tries to get Shigeki to settle down for the night, he keeps insisting on hiking deeper into the woods, looking for something he's incapable of explaining to others. Mogari no Mori (aka The Mourning Forest) received its European debut at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Naomi Kawase makes her feature debut with the understated family drama set in the mountains of rural Nara prefecture. The film centers on the Tahara family who eke out a living -- much like their ancestors -- from the local ancient cedar forests. Living in a gorgeous old traditional abode, the household consists of patrician Kyoso (Jun Kunimura); his wife; his mother; his three-year-old daughter, Michiru; and 11-year old Eisuke, who is the son of Kyoso's sister. When Kyoso's scheme of reviving the village's slumping economy -- the building of a railroad tunnel -- falls through, Kyoso descends into depression. Fifteen years later, Kyoso is still crushed by his previous failure and as a result the family struggles to get by. Eisuke and Kyoso's wife work at a local hotel while Michiru is a high school student. With absence of any kind of meaningful paternal presence, Michiru and Eisuke grow closer and closer until it becomes clear that their attraction goes beyond family affection. One day, Kyoso disappears taking only the family's Super-8 camera. Soon the police call, reporting the discovery of a body clutching a camera. With the lynchpin of the family dead, the others go elsewhere to find their fortunes. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide