Movie #1217 "Sweet Bean" was the third movie I saw at the Milwaukee Film Festival, and this is the one I rated as a 5. What a wonderfully poignant film full of the message that every soul is important and worthy of our attention --- even the cherry blossoms on the tree in front of your storefront. This is a Japanese film about a guy who makes doriyaki every day but is not excited about it.....until a very old lady with crippled hands makes him try her sweet bean paste, and the bean paste and his relationship with her transforms his life forever. And just when you think the story is going to go on this straight narrative about experience teaching the young what life is really about, the film goes into some discrimination and the consequences of that. This is a quiet, slow paced film, but I loved it --- I am a foodie (so all the painstaking effort they put in together to get the sweet bean paste just right every day, I greatly appreciated), and I also like good character work, and that's here, as well. Throw into the mix metaphors of freedom like birds, and cherry blossoms, etc. and you have a great idea for this film that is executed quite well. Highly recommended. And you can stream it on netflix (just found that out).
SWEET BEAN 2016 1 hour 53 minutes (just a tad too long for me, but that's my only complaint: 4.8 out of 5)
Looking for help in his bakery -- where he specializes in doriyaki pastries -- Sentaro hires 76-year-old Tokue. To Sentaro's surprise, his new employee has a unique talent for making the popular delicacy ... but she's also hiding a troubling secret.
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