Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Journey to the Shore Blu-ray Movie Review

An interesting supernatural romance by director Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Tokyo Sonata)

A heartfelt melodrama with a surprising surrealism, Journey to the Shore explores the passage of time between life and death in a unique and compelling way. Based on the novel by Kazumi Yumoto, the film marks another dramatic turn in the career of director Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Tokyo Sonata, Pulse). Combining romance with fantasy, Journey to the Shore is in some respects a blend of Kurosawa's primary filmmaking sensibilities: the world of dramatic storytelling and the world of the quietly supernatural nature that surrounds us all.

The storyline centers upon the journey taken by the beautiful Mizuki (Eri Fukatsu). Mizuki's loving and faithful husband died in a tragic accident years ago and Mizuki is still trying to pick up the pieces of her life when she has an unexpected encounter: her dearly departed husband, Yûsuke (Tadanobu Asano) re-enters her life as he has returned from the grave. Appearing before her as a normal living-breathing human being, the two become re-acquainted and Mizuki goes on a strange odyssey with her husband. Can the two find love once more and will the wounds of her broken heart be healed?

At the forefront of the film is the lead performances by actors Eri Fukatsu and Tadanobu Asano. The film is surrealist in some respects and grounded in others. The performances are an example of how Journey to the Shore finds grounded footing despite the supernatural elements. The performances certainly showcase the emotional depth of the actors. Both are required to have a romantic plot explored in an unusual way given the context of the storyline. Journey to the Shore would not have worked as a film without the dedication these actors had to their respective roles. Creating chemistry between a ghost and a living-breathing human being is no simple task and the actors were up for a challenge.

"Please don't tell me you died... again!"

There are many impressive visual elements to the film that are appreciable and worthy of consideration. The gorgeous cinematography by Akiko Ashizawa (Your Friend, Chronicle of My Mother) adds some stylistic flourishes that are organic and uniquely artistic. The lush outdoors and scenic moments are spruced up with flair and a dash of originality. The aesthetic is pleasing and comforting. For a ghost story, Journey to the Shore has a more naturalistic visual approach and it feels much more focused on beautiful camera-work and visuals than on frightening shots (as one would find in a common thriller or scary-movie). The visual effects by Keigo Kagamihara (Another) similarly add to the filmmaking with subtle nuance that provides the conclusion with some added excitement.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa directs and co-wrote the screenplay with co-screenwriter Takashi Ujita. The story is both beautiful and a bit melodramatic at the same time. There are moments where the film shines with its unique concept and approach. However, Kurosawa and Ujita also give the film a simplicity which seems strangely at odds with the core idea.

For a film about a deceased husband returning from the grave, the script makes the event seem almost like a non-event to the devastated spouse Mizuki. If it were not for the impressive performances, the film could have been disastrous based on the flimsy screenplay. Editor Tsuyoshi Imai (Hula Girls, Rage) gives the filmmaking a nice pace that helps to elevate the direction from Kurosawa but the overall effort is one with decidedly mixed results. Both beautiful and irritating, Journey to the Shore manages to be a solid effort but one that similarly wears its obvious imperfections on its sleeve.

Journey to the Shore Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from distributor Eureka Entertainment as part of the prestigious Masters of Cinema line, Journey to the Shore has received a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The film is a beautiful showcase for the lush cinematography by Ashizawa. The serene environmental shots look absolutely lovely and are well rendered by the encode.

Journey to the Shore has a sleek and modern visual aesthetic with no signs whatsoever of print damage and other serious deficiencies of note. With an altogether crisp and clear digital appearance, Journey to the Shore looks splendid in high-definition with a robust 34.82 mbps bit-rate encode. The exceptional encode quality adds to the fun. Gorgeously filmed and well preserved by Eureka Entertainment.

Journey to the Shore Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes both a Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track and a uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo audio track. The lossless audio options are both encoded in 24 bit depth. The surround sound track is an exceptional way to experience the magic of Journey to the Shore. The track sounds crisp and pleasant throughout. Dialogue reproduction is exceptionally crisp, clear, and easy to understand. The theme music by Naoko Etô (Dance Time) and Yoshihide Ôtomo (Suzuki Sensei) is similarly well reproduced. A solid audio presentation.

Journey to the Shore Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release is light on extras and the only inclusion is the Journey to the Shore Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:45)

Journey to the Shore Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A surprisingly heartfelt supernatural love story, Journey to the Shore marks an interesting experiment by director Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Tokyo Sonata, Cure). The dynamic performances by Eri Fukatsu and Tadanobu Asano are equally impressive and help to give the film a sense of being grounded in reality. The film careens back and forth between surrealism and naturalism. The end result is an odd confection that mixes the melodrama with fantasy. While far from a perfect film, Journey to the Shore is a unique effort that has enough merits to check out. Lightly recommended.