I had never heard about the 2014 drama "0.5 Miri" (aka "0.5 mm") prior to sitting down here in 2022 to watch it. I was given the chance to watch it, and of course I did so, because this was a Japanese movie that I hadn't already seen.
Now, I wasn't familiar with the movie running for 3 hours and 18 minutes, which was quite a killer. And to add insult to injury, then the narrative in the story is paced at an unbearably slow pace. It was so difficult to sit through the movie, and trust me, then 197 minutes becomes quite an ordeal to conquer.
The acting performances in "0.5 Miri" were adequate, but keep in mind that nothing much of any great entertainment or excitement happens throughout the mind-numbingly slow narrative.
This movie came and went without leaving a lasting impression on me, and truth be told then I wasn't even properly entertained by the movie. It was simply too slow and too mundane. So writer and director Momoko Andô failed to dish out something watchable here, if you ask me.
My rating of "0.5 Miri" lands on a generous three out of ten stars. Good luck staying awake throughout the 197 minutes.
Plot summary
Sawa works as a caretaker. One day she gets involved in unexpected events which have her lose her job and money. Not having a house to live in and money to spend, she begins to hunt for her "clients" in the street, suggesting to take care of them as a sleep-in caretaker. She targets old men who seem to have problems in their lives. At first, they get confused by Sawa's aggressive attitude and lots of energy, but gradually let her into their lives, and their "almost dead" lives start to shine again.
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Too slow paced and pointless to be entertaining...
Excelent film, just a little overlong.
I was reluctant to watch this movie due to its length but when I finally watched I was nicely surprised. The idea is a good one and some stories were interesting and moving, although there were parts uncomfortable to watch tbh. I was surprised by the final story, I must admit it was unexpected. At the end, I enjoyed the film but I think that if they made it shorter, the movie would be more memorable.
Pros & Cons
Pros: Quirky, unusual, fun, well written, and well acted. Cons: Extremely long (3hrs 15mins),unsatisfying ending.
The first hour is wonderful, unpredictable and fun to watch; it's a shame the makers couldn't carry the momentum through the remaining 2 hours. While the first hour is clearly off-beat comedy, the remaining 2 hours tend to spiral downward into a somewhat depressing mess that you hope will turn around into what made the beginning so enjoyable. But it never does. There are times when movie endings that leave you wondering add to the overall mystery and intrigue of the film, but sadly this one did not. It left me wishing they had cropped one-half of the movie out, and worked harder on wrapping things up. The first films I'd seen starring Sakura Ando, Shoplifters and 100 Yen Love, were simply great films, and I was deeply impressed with her acting ability. Next on my list, Love Exposure. There are many enjoyable moments in 0.5 miri, so it shouldn't be ignored, but it seems there are much better choices that won't tie you down for an overlong period of time.