Ryuichi Hiroki’s reputation for prolificacy was already well established, but he’s outdone himself this time. The director has three high-profile movies hitting Japanese cinemas in a three-week period, besting even the impressive single-month streak managed by Takahiro Miki (“Tang,” “Even if This Love Disappears From the World Tonight,” ‘Akira and Akira”) over the summer.
It’s a varied batch, too, proving that Hiroki isn’t at risk of becoming predictable — though “Motherhood” suggests that he may be spreading himself thin.
This inverted fairy tale serves as a corrective to the more highbrow “2 Women,” the director’s fictionalized biopic of author-turned-Buddhist nun Jakucho Setouchi, and the gushy “Phases of the Moon,” which comes out next week.