Cottontail (2023)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
After the death of his wife, Kenzaburo (Lily Franky / Kosei Kudo) (60s) and his son Toshi (Ryô Nishikido) (30s) receive an unexpected letter from beyond the grave. Akiko (Tae Kimura / Yuri Tsunematsu), their wife and mother, asks them to scatter her ashes at the place she loved most as a child - Lake Windermere in England. Surprised by this unexpected request, father and son are initially at loggerheads over their next steps. The two men, along with Toshi's wife Satsuki (Rin Takanashi) and young daughter Emi (Hanii Hashimoto), eventually travel together to England from Tokyo to fulfil Akiko's final wish. But Kenzaburo keeps losing himself in memories of Akiko as his relationship with Toshi becomes increasingly fraught. With little knowledge of where he is going and barely any English, Kenzaburo abandons his family in London and heads to the Lake District on his own with Akiko's ashes. As he embarks on his quest, his memories of Akiko grow more painful. A lost and weary Kenzaburo stumbles onto the doorstep of a farmer, John (Ciarán Hinds), and his daughter Mary (Aoife Hinds). With their help, Kenzaburo is finally able to set course once again toward Lake Windemere. But his true journey toward forgiveness and reconciliation will prove the hardest of all. - Actors:
- Ciarán Hinds, Aoife Hinds, Thomas Coombes, Yuri Tsunematsu, Isy Suttie, Angus Barnett, Rirî Furankî, Yuki Matsuzaki, Rin Takanashi, Tae Kimura, Miki Maya, Dave Simon, Ryô Nishikido, Koshi Uehara, Anil Goutam, Laura Smyth, Sara Mayhew, Kano Ichiki, Ken Mitsuishi, Takeo Gozu
- Directors:
- Patrick Dickinson
- Producers:
- Carolyn Marks Blackwood, Gabrielle Tana, Hélène Théodoly
- Writers:
- Patrick Dickinson
- Genres:
- Drama, Romance
Reviews (1) of Cottontail
A Decent Watch - Cottontail review by griggs
Cottontail is a nice enough film–gentle, emotional, and clearly a tearjerker, judging by the number of hankies being used in the cinema. It’s a heartfelt story about grief, family, and reconciliation, with moments that definitely hit home. Lily Franky is easily the standout, delivering such a strong performance that it almost overshadows the rest of the cast. Even Ciarán Hinds can’t match Franky’s presence. The biggest problem is the editing. The flashbacks, while well-intentioned, go on for too long, slowing the film down and making it feel sluggish. Just when the story seems to build momentum, another extended memory sequence pulls it back, affecting the overall pacing. A linear storyline would have been much more fitting, allowing the emotional beats to land more naturally without the constant interruptions. The film has emotional weight, and there are touching moments, but the uneven execution keeps it from being truly memorable. A decent watch, but not one that will stay with me for long.