An (Sweet Bean)

"A gentle, beautiful and graceful film that could work as a companion piece to several of Hirokazu Koreeda's, An is a sumptuous ode to tasty Japanese treats that morphs into a deeply moving ode to life itself. It's the first work I've seen of Cannes darling Naomi Kawase and I dearly hope it's not the last."

"A celebration not just of homemade cooking but of taking your time and doing it right - precisely what the celebrated director does herself."

"Naomi Kawase's gentle study of life, loss and confectionery is easily the Japanese auteur's most accessible work to date."

"Simply told with plenty of heart, the film explores the simple joys that relieve burdens & unite souls..."

"The movie, beautifully shot and acted, earns its ultimate sense of hope by confronting real heartbreak head-on, and with compassion."

"The film has an impeccable technical finish, but it is insipid, contrived, solemn, and ever so slightly preposterous."

"She may divide critical opinion, but Naomi Kawase's fans will great An with open arms ..."

"Its sentimentality is tempered by the elegant restraint of the fine lead performances."

"It's not the stuff of Shakespearean drama, and in fact is barely enough to squeeze a few tears out of audiences into sentimental fare."

"It is a simple pleasure but, like the doryaki pancake, there is sweetness within."