Cinema audiences love a big scene: those grand, cathartic moments in which characters unleash their pent-up emotions and say exactly how they feel. But real life tends not to work that way. Most people would prefer to suffer in silence rather than risk open conflict.
That’s the default setting for “Remember to Breathe,” a portrait of a toxic relationship daubed in pale shades of gray. Writer and director Masakazu Sugita’s low-key sophomore feature captures the distinct discomfort of having to be around someone you can’t stand, but also can’t avoid.
For the film’s taciturn protagonist, Yuko (Mao Inoue), that person just so happens to be her mother. Why? Well, it’s complicated.