Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2013

I’ve always been a big fan of Michael Winterbottom. His movies (Butterfly Kiss, Jude, Welcome to Sarajevo, I Want You, Wonderland, 24 Hour Party People, others) represent some of the most enjoyable and thought-provoking hours I’ve spent at the movies. But this one escapes me. It’s the story of an incarcerated man (John Simm) and the visits by his wife (a terrific Shirley Henderson) and family. The gimmick is that it was filmed over a period of five years, and so the characters age. That’s it. I get the minimalist, slice-of-life theme, but watching paint dry would be an action flick by comparison. Japanese title: Itoshiki Everyday. (90 min)