Harmonium has been sitting in my hard disk for a long time. I had read somewhere it was critically acclaimed which in my experience doesn't mean anything and the fact that it was low budget meant that it could be one of those artsy fartsy movies that use artistic tropes to hide the lack of storytelling ability like that piece of crap movie Koibitotachi.
Being in the rut of crappy jdoramas except for Yami no Bansosha made me more willing to take the risk to cleanse my pallet and let me say, Harmonium is a pretty good movie.
Harmonium is a story about how Asano Tadanobu who just got of prison goes to his old friend's (Furutachi Kanji) workshop to ask a favour. The ex-con gets caught up in the daily lives of the old friend and his wife and daughter and then one day something bad happens. I shall say no more except that Harmonium is a story about guilt and how people deal with blame and how they try to live their lives with it.
I was transfixed to the screen during the two hour runtime as the characters go through emotions I cannot begin to comprehend. The acting is just incredible and I have no idea who this Fukada Koji is but he managed to make this no budget no soundtrack look so good but relying on the acting abilities of the performers.
Another thing I want to say is that Harmonium is such a lousy name and the Japanese name of Fuchi ni Tatsu (Standing at the Abyss) is a much better description of this movie.
If you are after a Soredemo Ikite Yuku style movie with tense situations and masterful acting that will haunt you long after the credits roll, Harmonium is the movie for you. Must watch.
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