The Last Blossom, from GKIDS

Minoru Akutsu's only company for the final days of his life will be a balsam flower. At least it can talk, thanks to the film’s magical realism. However, it constantly berates the convict for wasting decades of his life. However, it is possible Akutsu did not waste the last 37 years. Maybe he sacrificed them instead. Viewers cannot fully judge Akutsu’s life decisions until the final piece falls into place in Baku Kinoshita’s The Last Blossom, which screens tomorrow and Monday, from GKIDS.

For years, Akutsu was a lower mid-level Yakuza enforcer. Whatever his crimes were, they didn’t bother him too much, because they allowed him to provide for his somewhat younger lover, Nana Nagata and her little boy Kensuke (from a previous relationship). In fact, Akutsu cares for them deeply, but he has trouble expressing it—or even admitting it to himself.

The balsam flower that mysteriously arrives in Akutsu’s cell claims to have seen it all for himself. According to the blossom, he was cut from the balsam that grew wild in Akutsu’s yard all those years ago, so he has access to original plant’s memories of what transpired. In fact, he can revisit them on demand, almost like a time-traveler. Consequently, the balsam forces Akutsu to confront the scheme that landed him in prison and jeopardized his adopted family.

Still, Akutsu was no dummy, as the audience sees from his proficiency in the go-like game Reversi. Indeed, that strategy game and Akutsu’s compulsive interest in mapping his neighborhood are important clues to understanding the Yakuza.

The Last Blossom, much like Your Name, Look Back, Summer Ghost, and Garden of Words, is the sort of anime film that will leave you a blubbering wreck. Yet, once viewers get over the emotional walloping, they should also be impressed by the sophistication of the film’s storytelling. Kazuya Konomoto’s masterful screenplay drops plenty of hints in plain sight, yet the big picture does not fully emerge until the final scene.

Kinoshita’s animation, produced by Studio CLAP, is deceptively simple and straightforward. Yet, through that simplicity, he creates enduringly powerful imagery. This beautiful film is one of the year’s best, outclassing most live-action narratives and documentaries, as well as its animated competition. Very highly recommended, The Last Blossom screens tomorrow and Monday (8/30 & 8/31) in theaters nationwide, including the AMC Empire in New York.