5 Centimeters per Second

This was a very beautiful and moving film by Makoto Shinkai. As the title suggests, it is a story about a growing separation and the effects it has on childhood sweethearts, Akari and, in particular, Takaki. Even though it was only an hour long, by the end I felt like I was truly feeling the pain and longing that had dominated Takaki's life for so long. I was initially disappointed by the ending (what can I say, I'm a sucker for happy endings) but after rewatching the film, I really appreciated that they didn't go with the cliché finish. Takaki not being reunited with Akari and finally deciding to move on from his past, which till that point held down and ate away at his life, was far more powerful and resonated with the themes of the film. The animation, art and music were beautiful like in all Makoto Shinkai works. I can't think of a better way to spend an hour of my time (except, of course, maybe sending a text to my long forgotten fling).

I think this film had a bit of a "slow burn" to it. [spoiler]You could feel the tension and the sadness building in Takaki as the story progressed. All the way up until the ending where he finally sets himself free from wishing about "what could've been." It feels almost painfully slow at times because that's what it felt like to Takaki.[/spoiler] The animation, art, and music was phenomenal; as we come to expect from Shinkai. It was a worthwhile film to watch, and while it doesn't leave me in awe of it's power, it still shared its emotion with me.