The Friends(NATSU NO NIWA)

With a newfound obsession about death, three schoolboys sneak into the home of a grouchy, hermitlike man, waiting for the moment of his demise. Their macabre curiosity soon turns into an unlikely friendship with the recluse, as they find joy in making over his derelict house and garden, and feel sad to know his remorse for the wartime past. Somai’s coming-of-age drama strikes a perfect balance between poignancy and sentimentality, contemplating life and death under a casual gentleness of tone, through an eventful summer of sunshine and typhoon. The most magical and touching moment is saved for the last, when grief metamorphoses into hope.

Kinema Junpo Top Ten: #5