Karakara

I enjoyed this Canada-Japan co-production for a number of reasons. First, it brought me the beautiful scenery of Okinawa, a place I know little about previously, and its art of making cloth from the fibre of banana trees. Now I have a strong urge to visit there some day to sample the beauty and tranquillity of that location. Second, this is, in a way, a romance story between an ageing, depressed and lonely baby-boomer from Quebec and a pretty Japanese woman much younger. So it is a story about an older male and a younger female, and hence a formula plot for male fantasy. Mine for sure.

Direction by Claude Gagnon, who did C.R.A.Z.Y. in the past, is solid, and acting by both actors very believable. However, because of its subject matter, I don't think the younger folks will enjoy this film as much as the older folks.

Although there is no nudity in the films but on two occasions you are treated to the screams (of joy, I assume, and I mean real screams) from a woman at the height of her sexual activities with an older man. So we may have some credibility issue here. Another point is any man that can please a woman to that extent could simply have no reason to be depressed. That would be my thought.