Journey to the Shore (2015) User Reviews

Journey To The Shore: Not as beautiful as expected

[Platypuschow · 5/10 · 3 July 2017]

I heard good things about director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, I heard his movies are works of art and tear at the emotional heartstrings like a cat through newly decorated wallpaper.

The premise is beautiful, the performances aren't bad and I had such high hopes but came away unfulfilled. I'm not saying Journey To The Shore is a bad film, I'm just saying they took a great concept and neutered it.

Telling the story of a widow going on a road trip with her late husbands ghost I found myself struggling to care about the characters and simply not understanding the rules to ghosts and their connection to this world.

The last time I was this confused about ghosts in a movie it was the Paranormal Activity series and the thing I was confused about was why in the blue hell I was watching them!

Slow and steady

[politic1983 · 5/10 · 22 December 2020]

Have you ever been in a foreign country and got on a bus, but as you're new in town you're unsure as to whether you got on the right bus or not? You sit on the slow progressing journey, watching the buildings and landscape go by, wondering if you will end up at your intended destination. While you might see some nice things a long the way, the journey is quite an uncomfortable and unsatisfying one.

Anyway, enough about my trip to Tallinn (...and then I got off the bus).

Mizuki (Eri Fukatsu) is a widow who works as a piano teacher. One day, out of the blue, her dead husband Yusuke (Tadanobu Asano) arrives home as if from a typical day at work. They decide to go on a journey so Yusuke can take Mizuki to some of the places of his life. They start by meeting Shimakage (Masao Komatsu) who employed Yusuke at his newspaper distribution depot.

Mizuki learns a lot about Yusuke, but there is also a sense of mystery around the current status of the depot, with Shimakage's sentimentality towards objects that are no longer of use. Left somewhat confused, they move on to a gyoza restaurant where Yusuke worked with a married couple. Again, the past lingers over the atmosphere.

More less-than-usual stop-offs occur before they finally arrive at the shore, where Mizuki can finally lay Yusuke to rest.

Now, all the elements of good filmmaking are present here: steady cinematography; good acting; good production values. But you also have a sense that it is how the Academy view good filmmaking: bland. The elements may be there, but a good film they do not make. While you can't technically fault too much, it's simply all too ordinary and is, therefore, difficult to invoke any emotional investment.

The scene continually changes, with new characters frequently introduced. Kiyoshi Kurosawa has to generate emotion in every scene rather than let it come out naturally. This results in a soundtrack used to let you know how you're meant to be feeling right now, building up to the emotional pay-off. But it rarely comes.

As a ghost story, the rules of how ghosts work within the real world are about as confusing as the UK government's COVID-19 strategy, in that they are seemingly made-up to suit each scene as necessary. The 'it was just a dream'/'they were ghosts' reveals, therefore, don't come with gasps, but more sighs of boredom.

"Journey to the Shore", therefore, is something of a disappointment. A director who can make a good film - though admittedly is very inconsistent - working with a good cast and good production values comes nowhere near to being the sum of its parts. And all do their job, but perhaps that's the problem in that it just all feels a bit like they're going through the motions to get to the end. This is crying out for an unconventional shot or a comic turn from Asano. But this journey doesn't want to stray too far off the straight and narrow.

In the end, you get to your destination. But it was quite long, and quite boring. You've passed through a nice suburb to get there, but next time, hey driver, take the not-so-scenic route.

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Regrets And Lost Moments In Time

[aghaemi · 4/10 · 17 September 2015]

Japanese films are often criticized by domestic audiences there, and many others, for being sad, gloomy or harrowing and there is much of that here. Kishibe No Tabi or Journey To The Shore, director Kiyoshi Kurosawa's newest film, had its North American premier this past Wednesday in Canada as part of the Toronto International Film Festival. It ran under the Contemporary World Cinema banner. The film, which is categorized as 'romance,' drew me in for its intriguing plot, presence of Tadanobu Asano (Café Lumière, Thor, Vital, etc.) and the always superlative Yu Aoi (Hana & Alice, cult film Riri Shushu No Subete, One Million Yen Girl, etc.) who has a bit role and not to mention director Kurosawa's resume which includes the funny and weird Tokyo Sonata among other films.

The story revolves around a woman whose presumed dead and lost-at-sea husband returns home after three years and the 'journey' that ensues. She is played by the plain Eri Fukatsu whose only previous work of fifty odd films this reviewer had watched was the fun Sutekina Kanashibari. It is worth noting this because that drama also featured Tadanobu Asano who plays the role of the husband. This film features quite a few well-known Japanese screen cast and crew members.

How is it? Given the plot, it is clear that Journey To The Shore is not a simple romantic flick. Yet, let us not drift too far from the category either. While the spirituality and fantasy aspects obviously exist, given what ensues the movie is indulgent. There are a few splendid shots of Japanese scenery; alas there are not enough of them. This is one of the film's failings. There are others however. To start, Fukatsu is almost stoic for a wife who is witnessing the return of her missing husband. She lets out a small gasp, he asks, "did I surprise you?" and we are off. It is reminiscent of the scene In The Girl Who Leapt Through Time when the male friend finds out Akari is from the future and essentially shrugs and goes with it. More likely, the director may have been inspired by the Japanese art-house film Empire Of Passion, which sees a deceased husband return home. Asano can apparently do and recall everything he once did including having sex and getting motion sickness, etc. save a mundane thing like remembering to take his shoes off before entering the house. Only a few subsequent questions ensue. The audience does soon question whether it is the husband who has returned or the wife merely believes it however. The film is patient and as contemplatively slow as the next Japanese film, but the core mushy middle is overplayed.

The wife is content now that she is on a voyage with her returned husband, but the loneliness and isolation remain even after the couple hit the road. We do understand more as the journey progresses. One of my pet peeves about Asian cinema is on full parade, namely no explanation is offered as to the mechanics of the 'what' or the 'how' of all this. The 'why' is the most clear of the elements. The film talks to the need for closure and tying loose ends, but makes no attempt to do so in its own scheme. Still, this is a couple's excursion unlike any other.

Beautiful and haunting film

[seanwilson-556 · 10/10 · 30 June 2017]

I'm surprised at the amount of mixed reviews 'Journey to the Shore' has. It's true that it differs from his acclaimed and popular thrillers, but Kiyoshi Kurosawa still manages to create the same kind of mysteriousness and atmosphere of his previous films. The ambient soundscapes are mostly absent and the score has been replaced by a lush, romantic score. Although only used sparingly, it is reminiscent of a score from the 50's. Its slow pace and philosophical edge is one you'd find in a Stanley Kubrick or Andrei Tarkovsky film, but Kiyoshi Kurosawa blends fantastic lead performances, atmospheric imagery and hypnotic long shots to create a truly breathtaking, innocent, meditative and haunting drama of life and death.

A nice story weighed down by a slow and tedious pacing...

[paul_haakonsen · 4/10 · 6 July 2019]

I had never heard about "Journey to the Shore" (aka "Kishibe no tabi") before stumbling upon it here in mid-2019. But it being a Japanese movie was more than sufficient to make me sit down and watch it, as I have a big interest and love for the Asian cinema.

"Journey to the Shore" was a mixed experience for me. First of all, the movie was way, way too slow paced. It literally felt like you got almost nowhere during the 2 hours and almost 10 minutes that the movie ran for. That was a massive hindrance for the enjoyment of the movie. And with its unfathomably slow pace, the movie was also burdened by a storyline that offered very little to the audience.

The movie does, however, have some really good acting performances. And the movie was so phenomenally carried by Eri Fukatsu, playing Mizuki. Just a shame that the movie was holding her back, because she definitely have some talent to her craft.

"Journey to the Shore" is not a movie that will appeal to everyone out there. It is something of an acquired taste. And you must have a great patience and a liking for pseudo-avantgarde drama with very little happening throughout the course of the entire length of the feature.

It was a test of my mettle to sit through "Journey to the Shore", but I persevered and stuck with it to the end. Was I entertained? No, not particularly. And I found the overall movie to be less than mediocre, actually. And that is why I am rating "Journey to the Shore" a mere four out of ten stars. If the movie had more contents to the storyline and a more upscaled pacing, then it would have been so much better. This is definitely not a movie that I will watch a second time.

Journey to the shore is not as powerful as other films by Kurosawa Kiyoshi.

[FilmCriticLalitRao · 4/10 · 14 December 2015]

After having watched the brilliant Japanese film 'Sakebi' (Retribution) directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, I was very much looking forward to watch the latest film by one of the most acclaimed masters of horror/thriller cinema in Japan. A prize at Cannes Film Festival 2015 in its prestigious 'Un certain regard' category is something which might induce viewers to choose this film at a film festival. I also thought along the same lines when I booked this film but in many ways, I was utterly disappointed with 'Journey to the shore'. It is a well made film which might induce viewers to travel within Japan especially to small, unknown places. However, as a film by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, one would surely miss the elements of suspense and thriller. They have been replaced with elements of drama and music. They remind astute viewers of the director's previous film 'Tokyo Sonata'. Acting performances by lead players are nice. It could be one of the reasons to watch this film. However, one would surely be disappointed if a viewer intends to explore new mechanisms of horror, thriller or suspense in this film.

Bored to death.

[Aries_Primal · 2/10 · 23 July 2022]

I spent 15 minutes on this and was about to kick the bucket, so boring it was.

I wonder, are those japanese so empty of emotions in real life too? Like dolls, never show fear, joy, just walk, talk, sleep... This is so wrong.

The idea is interesting but the plot is somehow illogical. No explanation how and why dead guy is coming back and act like he is alive, no sign of anything interesting except the fact he is dead. Woman is literally pathetic. You can slap her with a dead fish and she would show no more emotions than the fish. I am not sure to laugh or cry.