All of a Sudden

film comes across as a shrine to empathy, with a meditation and reflection on lives, perspectives, humanity, world views, capitalism and more. There are films once it ended we reflect on it as a whole, but here every scene is a chance to reflect on things in our lives, hence i feel that's why the film was slow-paced and meditative, so that we can absorb every conversation,views and feelings which it wants to convey. For 3 hours, i didn't get bored or distracted even for a bit. Even when the film feels overly long, its compassion, intimacy, and meditation on connection remain deeply affecting. The runtime might be long, but while the watching the film and the characters, it feels the time is not enough, here time itself is one of Hamaguchi’s main subjects, how there’s never enough of it to talk about all the things, and do all the things, but it’s vital that we mold what we do have to make the best of it, and the film projects that meaning and essence of time perfectly. Very few films leave you with an enduring sense of hope and calmness about life in between all the chaos around you. The film treads with such a tender and tranquil approach that it embraces you and nourishes you in its world and people. it is truly moving and impactful at the same time. It's such a hopeful movie that it convinces you that life is worth living, even if it is painful, dragging and chaotic. It kind of makes you believe that impossible is impossible until you try to make it possible with your effort. It tells you to find the joy and the beauty in where we are now in spite of all the shitty things and people around you. I know it might sound unrealistic, preachy and cringe, but it's the only way to stay sane and don't go mad and lit up fire like everyone else. Hamaguchi is brilliant at crafting lives in stillness, where conversations feel therapeutic and the actions feel inspiring, where life feels much less heavier and more breathable with a sense of relief and hope. The use of language in the film is incredibly important and very well handled. Although both Mari and Marie-Lou are from different countries, they speak and understand French and Japanese. They keep switching between languages, but there is such an unusual flow and intimacy in it that you never feel annoyed or distracted. Hamaguchi uses it to powerful effect. In their own language they can express themselves openly, knowing they will be understood without fear of judgement. The language helps them navigate the challenging conversations faultlessly, balancing the film’s heavier emotional notes to create an unlikely yet beautiful display of friendship between them. I love how their conversations open up different perspectives and opinions exploring differences between Eastern and Western approaches to healthcare, daily life, capitalism, effective ways for nourishment and care, dignity, autonomy and empathy of human beings. Through these natural conversations it builds a sense of intimacy and chemistry which is hard to achieve through just words. Their conversations feel ensuring, riveting and necessary, funny and beautiful and sad but never despairing or hopeless. And that is the best thing about the movie, it provides a perspective and hope which the current world needs so badly. This film is about profound changes within ourselves and changes around us, and it's upon us what we make out of it, what are our actions, feelings and our reaction to the world. It's all so complex but this film makes it very peaceful and easy to let yourself free and draw whatever meaning we want to get from it and reflect on it. With its naturalistic warmth, it captures the pleasures and pain of deep and curious things of this world.