So even if Yoji Yamada hadn't made 48/50 Tora-san films (none of which are bad, and quite a few of which are great), he'd still be a highly regarded director based on the strength of his non Tora-san films...
He churns out good movies like there's no tomorrow, and When Spring Comes Late is probably my favourite of his non Tora-san movies I've seen so far.
It's the perfect story for Yamada's skills, as it's authentic, human, and methodically paced, but still consistently engaging, emotional, and with plenty of opportunities to show off the beauty of Japan.
Performances are great, with Chieko Baisho and Chisyu Ryu being the standouts. Loved seeing so many Tora-san actors too, including Kiyoshi Atsumi himself in a small but fun role.
It's heavy going at times but the emotional content feels earned and never forced, and it's incredible how Yamada and the cast make you feel so strongly for these people in such a short amount of time.
Most flashbacks are implemented well, but occasionally they're not, and I think the father character may have been a little unrealistically mean spirited at times, but otherwise flaws are minor. This is a fantastic drama from Yoji Yamada, and I can see myself happily rewatching it at some point, too.
