Directed by:
瀬々敬久Screenplay:
瀬々敬久Cast:
Shō Aikawa, Ryôta Bandô, Kanna Hashimoto, Tsurutaro Kataoka, 窪田正孝, Shinichiro Matsuura, Eita Okuno, Yukiyoshi Ozawa, 坂井真紀, 佐藤浩市, Tomoko Yamaguchi, Ryusei Yokohama, 尚玄Plots(1)
“Keep your cool!” yells the ageing, secretly ailing trainer Jin to his young protégé Shogo during boxing matches. But that’s easier said than done. Everyone in One Last Bloom carries the emotional baggage of dysfunctional family backgrounds, missed opportunities and the strange peril attached to any second chance. One Last Bloom of course brings to mind the dilemmas and dynamics of Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby (2004) and the Rocky series, with breathtaking choreography of the sparring and a story that builds towards the final, title bout. The film holds firm to its particular naturalistic, anti-sensationalist and engaging depiction of fighting and the preparation it takes alike. The prolific director Zeze Takahisa has forged a career spanning ‘pink porno’ and highly successful mainstream fare. For him, whatever the genre, the goal is always the same: to engage the audience in the exploration of human psychology and behaviour. It is only natural that with detailed, touching performances and a quiet, observational style, One Last Bloom similarly interweaves moody introspection and rousing action with a masterly grace. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)
(more)Cast
Shō Aikawa
Japan
Best movies:
The Eel (1997)
Dead or Alive 2: Birds (2000)
Rainy Dog (1997)
Ryôta Bandô
Japan
Best movies:
Wife of a Spy (2020)
Kanna Hashimoto
Japan
Best movies:
I Wish (2011)
Assassination Classroom: The Graduation (2016)
Kingdom (2019)
Tsurutaro Kataoka
Japan
Best movies:
Shintaro Katsu's Zatoichi (1989)
Alley Cat (2000)
Initiation Love (2015)
窪田正孝
Japan
Best movies:
I Give My First Love to You (2009)
Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning (2021)
The Liar and His Lover (2013)
Shinichiro Matsuura
Japan
Best movies:
Oba: The Last Samurai (2011)
100 Yen Love (2014)
For Those We Love (2007)
Eita Okuno
Japan
Best movies:
37 Seconds (2019)
Your Eyes Tell (2020)
If Cats Disappeared from the World (2016)
Yukiyoshi Ozawa
USA
Best movies:
The Hidden Blade (2004)
Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (2014)
Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno (2014)
坂井真紀
Japan
Best movies:
700 Days of Battle: Us vs. the Police (2009)
Kano (2014)
Drop (2009)
佐藤浩市
Japan
Best movies:
Antarctica (1983)
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)
The Floating Castle (2012)
Tomoko Yamaguchi
Japan
Best movies:
Swallowtail & Butterfly (1996)
Ponyo (2008)
Biriken (1996)
Ryusei Yokohama
Japan
Best movies:
Your Eyes Tell (2020)
Hadžimete koi o šita hi ni jomu hanaši (2019) (series)
The Parades (2024)
尚玄
Japan
Best movies:
Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji (2009)