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.
This was a genuinely touching and beautiful film, a challenging character that earns understanding and empathy from the viewer, at least in my case. One of my favourites, I only wish it'd be re-issued on Blu-Ray, or at least in an improved format, as the UK DVD transfer is horrible quality. I really can't understand why anyone would give it such harsh ratings though, apart from sour grapes maybe, or just ignorance.
