Ototo

The autobiographical novel of the same name by author Aya Koda and the adaptation by Yoko Mizuki, one of the few female screenwriters of this time, provide the perspective: It is that of the young gene (Keiko Kishi) who is responsible for managing her family's entire household. The stepmother (Kinuyo Tanaka) does not feel accepted and is sickly, the father (Masayuki Mori) entrenches himself behind his work as a writer. Hekiro (Hiroshi Kawaguchi), her younger brother, is no help either, on the contrary. The stubborn rebel is constantly in trouble and accumulates gambling debts. Gen is barely able to stabilize the self-destructive microcosm — until Hekiro falls ill. With a muted color palette, sometimes claustrophobic, sometimes eye-opening widescreen shots, Keiko Kishi, torn between adaptation and rebelliousness, plays a leading role. (mg)