COTTONTAIL – A Review by John Strange
I love independent films. Good or bad, they each give the viewer a look at the thoughts of the filmmaker. Some are bright and sharp while others can be, well, a bit blurry.
Cottontail is a good example of one of the former. This is the story of a Japanese couple who fall in love. But love is strained when one half can’t remember the first. And, when pain is involved, it hurts everyone.
Kenzaburo (Lily Franky) loves his bride Akiko (Tae Kimura), the love of his life. Writer/Director Patrick Dickinson does a wonderful job of showing us the couple’s first date. He gives us the short version of their love story.
After they lose Akiko, Kenzaburo and his son, Toshi (Ryo Nishikido), discover that her last wish is for father and son (plus the son’s wife and daughter) to travel to England to spread her ashes at a lake together. The tale of the difficulties between father and son and of Kenzaburo’s dealing (or not) with his personal demons as they make their way from Tokyo to England and across the English countryside to find the spot shown in the one photo Ken possesses of the two young lovers at the lake.
Ciarán Hinds and his daughter Aoife play a father and daughter in the English countryside who assist “Ken” to find the lake. And eventually, his son. This short group of scenes is a huge help for “Ken” (and us) to begin to come to grips with his loss and find a new connection to Toshi.
The film is a quiet film filled with the love and the pain that love can bring. It is a love story and a story of family relearning to love. It has quiet “ah-ha” moments and even a group of ladies celebrating a bride’s last hours or days as a single woman. It is captioned for English speakers.
Director: Patrick Dickinson
Cast: Ciarán Hinds, Lily Franky, Aoife Hinds, Ryô Nishikido, Tae Kimura, Rin Takanashi, Yuri Tsunematsu
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Selig Rating: 4.5 Stars
Runtime: 94 Min.
Release Date: 07/09/2024
Release Locations: On Demand
Language: English and Japanese (with English Subtitles)
Genre: Drama
Trailer: COTTONTAIL Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
