Very Cool!!!

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

About Japanese director Koizumi Takashi, it can be said that his life has come to a complete standstill on two different occasions. Firstly, there was absolute shock for him in store when his mentor, Akira Kurosawa died after having written the screenplay of "After the Rain". It was therefore a tough challenge for Koizumi to direct the film exactly in the same manner as Kurosawa Sensei had wished. Secondly, the quiet manner in which his film flows makes all viewers wonder about the complete lack of movement in his film. It is as if stillness pervades the entire film even in those scenes where there is drama and violence. As a film, After the rain is a highly philosophical tale about a samurai who finds his true worth when he becomes a key witness to some of life's harshest hardships. Despite tackling a tough subject, it remains a highly accessible film due to its focus on entertainment and humor.As a minor theme, Koizumi Takashi deftly explores the importance of a woman who is absolutely dependent on her husband for her survival. There is no sign of weakness in the feminine gaze as the female protagonist has been shown as a worthy partner of a man in distress. If acting is something which might interest enthusiastic viewers then they must give due respect to brilliant acting performances by Japanese actors Terao Akira and Miyazaki Yoshiko who are impressive in their roles as Monsieur Le Samurai and Madame La Samurai.

Ame Agaru was one of the most intricate films I have seen so far--not because it had a complicated plot or pieces that fit into a missing puzzle, but because the messages in it conveyed a wisdom that accompanied the life of the samurai. There was little majesty addressed to the fighting lifestyle and code of honour that encompasses the samurai way of living; instead, it focused on the simplicity of the day to day life behind the majesty of such mystic creatures. The film was beautifully directed, the aesthetic of the atmosphere was amazing, the acting had a humble approach that truly reflected the modesty of the wise samurai, and the film's length was just enough to convey the message accurately without going into extraneous details or without being too short. This film addressed the grandeur found even in the stagnant way of living for the samurai, and what I was even more pleased to see was that the film addressed the wisdom of releasing ego and the will to win. Those who sought to win seemed to be self-defeating, and only when the way of the warrior becomes that egoless path can the warrior cross the river after the rain and see where he is going.

A samurai and his wife search to find happiness with themselves, their relationship, and their station as they weather the disillusion of their past and current circumstances.Written by Akira Kurosawa and directed by Takashi Koizumi after Kurosawa's death. This is a breathtaking reflection of Kurosawa's early and later storytelling sensabilities. But it is a very complex film, one that upon initial viewing may defy the viewers expectations of the samurai genre and seem simplistic, overly long, or as one reviewer described: unexciting.This film reminds me very much of Red Beard, another Kurosawa story that while set in feudal Japan is not necessarily a samurai film.Rating 9/10

In this movie set on the rainy season in fudal Japan, A ronin and his wife reach a poor hotel and interact with the guests and the local lord. The character of the ronin is unique. He has fought for money and thus taints himself in the eyes of the local samurai but his heart and care for the people along with his mastery of budo, wins over the lord who is a unique character in his own right. This is not a masterpiece of filming but the characters stay with you and it is a needed diversion from the gruff men we usually meet with the elder Corosowa.