Move over, Hachiko. Japan’s most famous exemplar of canine devotion faces some stiff competition from the titular dog in Hitoshi Yazaki’s “Sakura.” Even when everything threatens to fall apart for the family at the center of this tale, their faithful hound finds a way to bring them back together.
The film itself could have done with such a reliable anchor. It’s a fascinating mess, with wild mood swings and a story that takes forever to get to the point, though it’s made watchable by some committed performances from the actors and a willingness to venture into the taboo.
At the film’s start, college student Kaoru Hasegawa (Takumi Kitamura) returns to his family home in Japan's western Kansai region after a lengthy absence. He’s keen to see the family dog, Sakura — now rather creaky and flatulent — though less enthusiastic about reconnecting with his father Akio (Masatoshi Nagase), who walked out on them two years earlier but is back for new year celebrations.