PICK OF THIS WEEK’S FILMS

TRUE MOTHERS

SUBMITTED as Japan’s official entry for the best international feature film statuette at this year’s Academy Awards, director Naomi Kawase’s tender drama explores the pressures of parenthood from an intriguing perspective.

Based on a novel by Mizuki Tsujimura, True Mothers focuses on polite, middle-class couple Kiyokazu (Arata Iura) and Satoko (Hiromi Nagasaku), who are desperate to conceive.

Their efforts are fruitless and the husband and wife are resigned to a childless future.

A ray of hope shines unexpectedly on them in the form of an adoption agency run by the mercurial Mrs Asami. She delivers a baby boy named Asato into their lives, who is being given up for adoption by a heartbroken teenage mother. A few years later, the couple’s pictureperfect life is shaken to its core and fiercely protective Satoko prepares to go to war. Streaming on Curzon Home Cinema now.

EFFIE GRAY

A re-release of Richard Laxton’s 2014 period drama, Ruskin (Greg Wise) falls under the spell of 19-year-old Effie Gray (Dakota Fanning) and they marry. A visit to Ruskin’s parents opens Effie’s eyes to the solitude and loneliness that she must bear during her married life. Ruskin immerses himself in his work while Mrs Ruskin, in particular, makes evident her disdain for her boy’s choice of bride by constantly undermining Effie.

The Ruskins travel to Venice where John once again abandons Effie in the company of Rafael, who has designs on the worldly unwise wife and takes advantage. Available on all major platforms from Monday.

Greg Wise as John Ruskin