All of a Sudden

That humanistic core found at the center of Hamaguchi’s filmography is fully realized in All of a Sudden, as the film’s characters cultivate empathy and attempt to untangle some of society’s most intricate webs. It’s a film that will not only remind audiences of the extraordinary power of art but also of the pain and beauty of being alive.

Whether the healthy truly are alive, Hamaguchi doesn’t say—but it is a testament to his immensely empathetic film that, by the end, everything and everyone in All of a Sudden seems to be.

Even as emotions may overcome the viewer, Hamaguchi never pushes All of a Sudden into saccharine terrain for empty positivity or cheap inspirational aims. It all feels earned.

All of a Sudden is an odd but audacious film in the way it favors the thematic over the dramatic. Those not attuned to Hamaguchi’s wavelength may find it overstretched and desiccated. But if you can get on board with its leisurely pace, there’s transcendant beauty in its view that all lives are of value, no matter how diminished.

It’s a rich experience for those who can settle into its languid rhythms and reams of dialogue.

What one remembers most from All of a Sudden is the uniqueness of the women’s relationship and their shining embrace of human rights — not just emotionally, but with their minds.

It’s tender and sometimes beautifully made, but also contrived and occasionally features some too-good-to-be-true caring characters. Frankly, it’s rather precious.