Naomi, a seventeen year-old city brat from Nagoya, finds her world turned upside down after the breakup of her parents' marriage. Packed off to the country, she reluctantly works at her aunt's inn until being asked to care for Mrs. Koide, an aging relative with Alzheimer's disease. At first, Naomi dislikes looking after the old woman, but over the course of the summer, the two develop an extraordinary friendship that transcends age and experience. The debut feature from international filmmaker John Williams (Midnight Spin), Firefly Dreams stars veteran Japanese actress Yoshie Minami (Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru) and newcomer Maho Ukai in a critically acclaimed performance.
Similar titles
Reviews
Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
A young girl, Naomi is a typical bad girl of city. One day, she gets to go to her relative's home in countryside. Then she comes to take care of an old woman, Ms. Koide. Naomi is under 20 years old, so she must not drink or smoke but Ms. Koide does not blame her. Therefore she can behave as she is in front of Ms. Koide. Naomi comes to learn many things through the life with her. This is not only a story of one girl's growing but also an old woman's last story. The scene of Japan's countryside is also beautiful. You may get a good feeling through this movie.
This film is about the change of the high school girl in the summer vacation. She had got wild because of her family problems but by staying with her cousin's family and getting involved with an old lady, something changes in her personality. She is very straightforward and her attitude are quite easily affected by her feelings. Especially she frequently changes her attitudes towards her innocent cousin. This seems too childish for me, so I do not like her. And some bond between she and the old lady made changes in her but when and why did they come so intimate? In our daily lives it often occurs that people become friendly before we know, though. Probably I think I demand reasons too much in stories. I raise the part I didn't like above, but I liked the music used in this film and the scenery of the countryside. That made me feel relaxed.
Firefly Dreams took me right into the story,and the dreamy pace/visual beauty,and heartfelt emotions added to the charm.Naomi's journey through pain and loss is very charmingly portrayed here,and all the characters are well placed.Nothing seems forced or overly contrived..more like you are in the locations and absorbing Naomi's everyday life,and the character of Mrs. Koide,the old woman/ex actress will warm your heart.it's VERY refreshing to see films like this,where you are not distracted by noise,gun fights,explosions and special effects.Mr.Williams has created a real gem.Visually and emotionally lush! See it!
Firefly Dreams is basically a nice story about returning to traditional values in the face of the ugliness and shallowness of urban life. Packed off to relatives in the countryside by her parents, a young woman develops a variety of friendships - in particular one with an elderly woman who, it seems, has had an interesting past - and discovers herself in the process. What sets this film apart from others in the genre is the degree of understatement that pervades it. Events occur off camera and connections between events are made, but there is refreshingly little explication, leaving viewers to think for themselves. I would not call Firefly Dreams a masterpiece; the story is fairly predictable and simplistic, the characters are pretty generic, and the cinematography is unchallenging. But it is a nice film and leaves some tantalizing questions to mull over even as you return the DVD to the store.
Top Streaming Movies
