- Sensibility: Some of the realities of the job and Phillip's living in Japan are far-fetched, but the film does a good job of avoiding bumping into these issues head-on.
- Cinematography: The film has a few editing issues, with some scenes, particularly near the beginning, feeling choppy. The film has some moments with very strong visuals, like a shot from looking out through a boat window, a shot of a huge tree, and a shot of some white blossoms. Costuming and production design are solid but plain.
- Energy: The film builds a solid emotional framework with the many relationships Phillip builds, but some predictability in the story makes some of the pacing getting to events we know are coming hard to bear.
- Narrative: The story is fairly strong conceptually and is full of interesting characters. However, the film is painfully predictable and struggles with dialogue particularly where there is language-crossover.
- T-Points: The film received three bonus points: one for a surprise reveal of a rental family, one for an "undercover" cop, and one for a brilliant ending.
THe film is a classic feel-good story with a strong premise that struggles from the typical pitfalls of this kind of film. Great for the whole family to enjoy, but not much beyond that.
Number of Watches: 1
