Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2011

©2010「ワラライフ!!」製作委員会

Yuichi Kimura is one of the few comedians who has managed to cross over from slapstick gags to serious filmmaking. His 2009 directorial debut, Nisesatsu (“Counterfeit”), was competently made but almost completely overlooked. Wararaifu won’t suffer the same fate. This heart-rending look back at a childhood is about Shuichi (Jun Murakami), a sensitive and forgetful 20-something with a sweet girlfriend (Yu Kashii). The two are about to move in together, even though Shuichi is a bit hesitant. One day he receives a call from his mother reminding him the family is moving out of his childhood home and he must return to help pack up. The bulk of the film is then told in flashback, as all the old sights rekindle Shuichi’s memories of childhood. Wararaifu has a wonderful, meandering pace that evokes the process of growing up. We learn of Shuichi’s crush on a neighbor, his boyhood tussles with his younger siblings, and his attentive, idiosyncratic parents. Warm and finely observed, the flick is self-assured enough to focus on the seemingly insignificant minutiae of daily life. Charming and well worth a look. English title: What a Wonderful Life!! (97 min)