The Story: Yosuke Sasano is on the cusp of middle age, unemployed, and his wife and son have left him. So with nothing better to do and at an impasse in his life, he decides to follow the rantings of his recently deceased old fisherman/philosopher friend and seek out a treasure supposedly tucked away in a confectionery shop in the seaside village of Toyama. He finds the shop and the woman running it, Saeko, who he soon curiously discovers has a very unique trait- she fills up with water and this compells her to shoplift or have sex to relieve the pressure. Yosuke soon finds himself involved with the strange, matter of fact woman, effectively helping her "relieve her pressure". He takes a job as a fisherman, and settles into a new life with the towns unusual residents. But, the men of the village warn him about the fate of Saeko's previous mate (who drowned) and warn him that this unusual woman may cost him his life. Plus, someone else comes hunting for the treasure, a treasure that Yosuke has abandoned because he has found a different kind of treasure, but a treasure just the same.

The Film: A film of middle age change and the healing power of relationships,... along with some heavy metaphorical internal plumbing problems fit for Ripleys Believe It or Not. Here we see a man at a standstill, starting fresh, and discovering a relationship with a strong woman. They pretend it is a casual favor at first, but soon cannot deny that they are serious, and it is a magical, superstitious, comic path they take, overcoming their pasts before they can fully embrace each other.

Shohei Imamura is one of Japans great directors, establishing his career during the 1960's Japanese New Wave. He is probably best known for his masterpieces, The Ballad of Narayama and the haunting post-Hiroshima survivor film Black Rain. Warm Water... bears those marks of a director in the late stages of their career, the twilight years as they say. His themes are in tact. His direction assured, but its almost too laid back, too easy, too whimsical, lacking that essential spark. Perhaps if he hadn't already made so many films about small town life with touches of humor and drama? Look no further than a couple of years ago with The Eel, a film that has the same central cast members and a village of eccentrics, yet it felt much more defined and conclusive. Thematically, this comic fable is just so slight it floats away, and the story is a bit too simple and cloying. It is tough to straddle the lines between the dramtic and the silly, the realistic and the fantastic. It is the danger of magical-realism, not everyone can approach it with the weight of Emir Kusturica (Time of the Gypsies, Black Cat White Cat) and find that even balance. The films bouncy music furthers its tone, and the film, like the music, just bounces away, becoming an extended gag piece as lightweight as a Laurel and Hardy short.

The performances are all solid. The two leads, Koji Yakusho and Misa Shimizu previously worked together in Imamura's The Eel as well as the bubbly, popular, romantic comedy Shall We Dance (another film so light it was in danger of floating into the stratosphere). And Imamura's trademark eclectic cast of personalities surrounding them is interesting, including an African long distance runner and his trainer who follows him on a bike shouting and hitting him with a whiffle ball bat, the old couple who runs a boarding house, the three old gossiping village fishermen, Saeko's senile fortune telling grandmother, and a hoodlum whom wants to capitalize on Saeko's waterworks. Naturally with Imamura behind it, the direction is very old school Japanese, simple long shots, fairy static camera, a welcome change to the WHAM!-BAM! and editing we have grown used too. You can see the touch of a master director at work, and while a pleasant enough tale, its just a shame there wasn't more meat on it.

The DVD: Fair enough DVD. Region 0.

Picture- Widescreen. Colors are a little drab, prevalent browns dulling them. Sharpness could be better too but suffers from some fogging making the picture too soft. Contrast and grain are fine; image is okay, but for a film this recent the picture could be better.

Sound- Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Japanese. The film is pretty simple when it comes to audio. Dialogue is mixed well, with the minor instances of fx noise or musical score coming across nicely. The subtitle translation is great, going so far as to get such touches as the uncouth speak of the old gossiping fishermen, "Thats a good un'."

Extras- 8 Chapters--- Trailer---- Director and Cast info, bios and filmographies.--- Also includes a VCD of previews.

Conclusion- Decent enough transfer. Those interested in Japanese master directors, already familiar, or curious about his work may want to pick it up. Though it isn't his strongest film, so casual cinephiles may want to give it a rental or check out his other films before giving Warm Water... a spin on their DVD decks.