We watched The Taste of Tea by Katsuhito Ishii last night. Lauren found it on Netflix and brought it to watch. I absolutely loved this movie. It was a refreshingly different story of a family set in rural Japan. I didn't know there was such a thing as rural Japan. This movie had the feel of a fairy tale, lush and serene with an undercurrent of nature that was ancient, but still vibrant - complete with a haunted forest. The pervasive sounds of birds, wind, rain and crickets felt very right. I forgot how much I loved real rain, the type that suddenly comes and goes; not the heavy fog that passes for rain here.
The story was a slice of time in the life of a family of eccentric, creative, good people. Though never spoken, you could tell there was love and support, but not smothering. Each of the members of the family was living in their own interesting world, with different dreams, ambitions and obstacles. It is hard not to identify with these people and get caught up in the flow of their life.
It is important to brew a nice pot of tea before sitting down with this movie. Definitely a feel-good movie.
