Grace (Ikumi Yoshimatsu) as a child in 1969 Japan suffered the death of her mother. Her father, unable to maintain the family home, sent Grace to live with a cousin’s family while he departed for Hong Kong in a search for employment.
Grace met Michael Stanton (Winsor Harmon), her future husband, at a celebratory dinner in Japan while a geisha.
Grace married extremely well residing in Los Angeles with Michael and their son. Grace visits her doctor, Dr. Langley (Eric Roberts) where an MRI reveals melanoma. Despite the urgings of Dr. Langley, she does not disclose her terminal illness to Michael. Anticipating her rapid decline she hires the very attractive Miki Endo (Ruby Park) as nanny and assistant and possibly a bit more. Miki is traditional Japanese. She has worked as a nanny in Japan and is well versed in the preparation of Japanese cuisine a very important skill considering Michael and her son hold food to be essential to a full life.
Grace turns to an old family friend Dr. Yuki Tano full of eastern spiritual musings advising Grace a soul’s journey is more about your interaction with the souls around you than your soul. While there is death the soul may after bodily death manifest itself in other ways.
Miki discovers medical reports detailing Grace’s melanoma and in anguish sobs to Grace how could you do this to me. An incident in Miki’s past causes her deep pain as Grace’s diagnosis does to Grace. In my corporate life in the 1990’s corporate speak was hyped up on the importance of succession planning for senior management. One wonders if Grace is in the process of succession planning for her demise. Anything is possible given Grace’s “moral dishonesty” in refraining from disclosing the cancer diagnosis to her family. Grace notes, and not with jealousy the way Michael looks at Miki is the way he used to look at her.
Grace dies of course and in just too much melodrama accompanied by soaring music walks in a forest to meet her departed father. Speaking of music impressive soundtrack by world renowned cellist and composer Martin Tillmann. The “modern tunes” are awkward considering the death focus and intended spirituality of the film. The film’s attempt at spirituality seems somewhat full of puffery.
There are enough hints thrown to the viewer to suggest Grace is grooming a successor and it is your decision whether that is creepy or magnanimous. Directed by Nico Santucci and cowritten by him and Timothy Michael Hayes.
Predictable but entertaining.
Opens on digital platforms 20December2024.
RKS 2024 Film Rating 75/100.
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