The film is long and slow but repays close watching because Kore-eda is one of Japan's best contemporary directors and he avoids sentimentality throughout.

Undeniably beguiling, but more manufactured-feeling than Kore-eda's top-drawer work.

The spirit of Spielberg, transplanted to the east. Bliss.

My favorite part of the film is the static shots of inanimate objects near the end: mementos from their journey. The shots are held just long enough for us to appreciate those shared eternal moments.