Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • Thank You
    • 4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)
    • 3999. The Pianist (2002)
    • 3998. Philadelphia (1993)
    • 3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
    • 3996. The Green Mile (1999)
    • 3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
    • 3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»1216. Only Yesterday (おもひでぽろぽろ) (1991)

    1216. Only Yesterday (おもひでぽろぽろ) (1991)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on January 13, 2016 110-119 mins, 1991, 6 - 7.9, Animation, Drama, Jan 16, Japan, Movies Of 2016, Review, Romance
    7.1 Sweet
    • Acting 7.2
    • Directing 7.4
    • Story 6.8
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Miki Imai, Toshirô Yanagiba, Youko Hanna

    Director: Isao Takahata

    Running Time: 118 mins


    Only Yesterday is a Japanese film following a woman who, while travelling to the countryside, reminisces about her youth and her experiences as a young girl in Tokyo.

    This is a really sweet and pleasant film. Although it isn’t consistently as compelling as it starts off, it’s a well-written, very well-directed, and simply delightful treat all about the best memories of childhood that will, at times, move you.

    The first act of this film is by far the best. It begins by telling how our main character, Taeko, yearns for the countryside after having lived all her life in the big city. What makes this an even stronger theme throughout is how the film then goes back into flashbacks and tells a fascinating back story as to why this woman is the way she is.

    And for the first forty minutes or so, it’s almost all about Taeko’s childhood. That part of the story beautifully plays on nostalgia, and really moved me at certain moments, but the way it tells a young coming-of-age story is just so sweet and pleasant that I couldn’t help but smile my way through all of it.

    What’s more is that Takahata’s direction is really impressive. It’s not just the classically beautiful Ghibli animation, but the way that Takahata so effortlessly weaves the flashbacks and the modern day in and around each other on screen, and it makes for such a swift and even more elegant atmosphere that again makes this an even more pleasant film to watch.

    The second half of the film, however, isn’t as impressive. Whilst the light serenity of the first act is retained, and it’s hugely satisfying to see Taeko finally reach the countryside after dreaming of it for so long, the story really loses its way from what was a hugely nostalgic and touching coming-of-age tale.

    It starts with one overlong conversation scene that really doesn’t feel as if it’s adding anything to the plot, and although subsequent moments do make it more relevant, it’s still not really captivating at all. Meanwhile, we get less and less flashbacks, and just more and more talking about the past.

    Whilst it’s still interesting to hear about Taeko’s childhood still shaping her in the modern day, what I really missed was the fact that we were being shown everything. The flashbacks in the first act were beautiful, both due to their different visual style to present day, and the fact that they seemed so pleasant, but by the end, we don’t get as much of that, and sit with what is a more generic emotional story.

    Overall, Only Yesterday is a film with a brilliant opening act, full of wonderful emotion and beautiful direction, and although it really does lose its way as the film goes on, it’s overall a very pleasant and generally interesting watch, so that’s why I’ll give it a 7.1.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. From January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2022, he watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    8.2

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    8.2
    December 25, 2022

    3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

    5.6
    December 10, 2022

    3969. Falling For Christmas (2022)

    6.9
    December 4, 2022

    3956. The People We Hate At The Wedding (2022)

    5.4
    December 3, 2022

    3954. Disenchanted (2022)

    7.4
    December 3, 2022

    3953. Meet Cute (2022)

    7.6
    November 23, 2022

    3934. Do Revenge (2022)

    7.0
    November 18, 2022

    3929. The Wonder (2022)

    6.7
    November 13, 2022

    3924. See How They Run (2022)

    Recommended Movies
    8.0
    Review
    June 13, 20190

    2583. Ip Man (葉問) (2008)

    8.4
    Review
    June 30, 20150

    1008. Amy (2015)

    8.4
    Review
    February 20, 20160

    1260. Force Majeure (2014)

    8.7
    Review
    February 6, 20170

    1647. Alphaville (1965)

    8.0
    Review
    August 15, 20130

    254. The Aviator (2004)

    Popular Posts
    December 31, 2022

    Thank You

    8.2
    December 31, 2022

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8
    December 30, 2022

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2
    December 29, 2022

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    7.5
    December 28, 2022

    3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

    9.1
    December 27, 2022

    3996. The Green Mile (1999)

    7.6
    December 26, 2022

    3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)

    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.