Although I like most of Kawase's work, I was surprised by how touching this is. The emotional exhibitionism that tainted some of her previous narrative films (although it works beautifully in the documentaries) is replaced by a much more detached sentimentality that might feel more conventional but is always rooted in poignant, expressive gestures. She even keeps her inner Malick in check this time, for the most part. Only in the end the lens flares take over. But that's ok, too, a Kawase film just needs a bit of bad taste.